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Bookish Soul Chronicles

Bookish Soul Chronicles

Book Reviews

miss._.bibliomaniac

“Sometimes, Even when you start with the last pa

“Sometimes, Even when you start with the last page and you think you know everything, a book finds a way to surprise you.”
- Emily Henry

Heyaaa there. Yes am very much alive and back with my sporadic posting!

Qotd- what do you do when in a slump?

If there’s one author who can drag me out of a reading slump, it’s got to be @emilyhenrywrites.

And if I had to choose one person who can motivate me to start posting again, I’d say @coffees_and_books_ ❤️

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstack #bookstagramfeature #booklovers #emilyhenry #bookworm #bookishsoulchronicles

“𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤

“𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙊𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜.”
🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

𝓗𝓪𝓹𝓹𝔂 𝓞𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓦𝓲𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓼! 🍁🍁

#𝘘𝘖𝘛𝘋: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭?

I love how the air starts smelling festive! October means the onset of festive and wedding season in India (which means, more work for me!!).
So I am trying to post all my pending reviews this month while I can!

Featuring #fallessentials this gorgeous planner from @theinkbucket and my favourite hot chocolate from @thetiggle_
I hope you have a great month!

🍁🍁🍁🍁

#internationalcoffeeday #october #autumnvibes🍁 #bookstagram #bookflatlays #bookphotography #bookstagramindia #bookstafamindia

𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒓: 𝑨 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐’𝒔 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍 𝑲𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒚

After the shocking yet satisfying ending of The Fall of the Phoenix, I was looking forward to reading the second book in the series and this book does not disappoint.

The greatest city on Earth, Troy has been reduced to nothing but rubbles and ash after a 10-year long war. After his army is destroyed, Agamemnon is ready to return home to his wife Clytemnestra and his children.

On the other hand, the survivors of Troy are left to seek refuge in the hope of bringing vengeance to their home one day. Led by Aeneas, cousin of Hector, they travel across the sea and finally find a new home, but it comes with a price.

With action unfolding with the introduction of new voices, there is not a single dull moment in this page turner by author @heroesoftroy. Emotional reunions, revenge, assassinations along with an underlying love story, this book will leave you in awe of Kelly’s storytelling. The way he weaves together multiple storylines is commendable.

While the first book was majorly driven by the plot, the second book in the series is more character driven. The added voice of Clytemnestra adds depth and emotion to the story. I absolutely loved the descriptive writing style of the author and truly left me astonished. Looking forward to reading more from the author.

Thank you @thebookscenestours and @heroesoftroy for organizing this book tour and providing me with a chance to read this brilliant piece of work.

#thebookscenestours #danielkelly #thefallofthephoenix #aheroswelcome #heroesoftroy #greekmythology #historicalfiction #fantasyfiction

~~ 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰 𝘛𝘰𝘶𝘳: 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘐𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐𝘯 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘣𝘺 𝘓𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘛. 𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘮 ~~

#𝚀𝙾𝚃𝙳: 𝚃𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝-𝚌𝚞𝚝𝚎?

Hello peeps! It’s my stop on the book tour for this lovely book by author @laratkareem. A heartwarming collection of seven short stories that explore the journey from meeting the first time to finding a connection within and ultimately, falling in love with the other person. For readers looking to soothe their hearts, this book is a perfect read to fill your hearts with warmth. The book is now on sale from Basenji Books!

The full synopsis of the book is mentioned in the comments.

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INTL TOUR-WIDE GIVEAWAY
Win a physical copy of Love is Beautiful When In Bloom!

HOW TO ENTER
- Like & leave a comment
- Follow me, @laratkareem & @mtmctours

EXTRA ENTRIES
- Tag friends in different comments!

- Visit #LoveisBeautifulWhenInBloomMTMC from September 6th to 12th for more tour posts & chances to win!

Ends on September 18th. Must be 18+ or have parental permission to enter. Winner announced on MTMC Tours' account. (Not affiliated/endorsed by Instagram)

#LIBWIB #LaraTKareem #mtmctours #booktour #bookpromotion

~~ 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚃𝚘𝚞𝚛: 𝚃𝚑𝚎

~~ 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚃𝚘𝚞𝚛: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙿𝚑𝚘𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚡 𝚋𝚢 𝙳𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚎𝚕 𝙺𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚢 ~~

"War makes butchers of all good men, Achilles."

#𝚀𝚘𝚝𝚍: 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎?

For the lovers of Greek mythology, historical fiction and fantasy, this book will surely be a treat! The Fall of the Phoenix by Daniel Kelly is a brilliantly written reimagination of the fall of Troy and the book draws you in from the very beginning.

Based towards the end of Trojan war that left the city of Troy in shambles, the book follows the changing relationship between Hector and Achillies, from fighting together to fighting each other, leading to the famous duel between the two. Swipe right to read the blurb.

The book is fast paced and full of action. Author Daniel Kelly truly makes his characters and surroundings come alive with his raw and vivid storytelling. The characters are amazingly written and likeable. I loved both Hector and Achillies. The detailed research that must have gone into writing the characters along with the plot is reflected throughout the story.

This is the first book in the series and the satisfying ending had me looking forward to read the next part!

Thank you @thebookscenestours and @heroesoftroy for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#thebookscenestours #thefallofthephoenix #aheroswelcome #heroesoftroy #bookrecommendations #bookreview #greekmythology #historicalfiction #bookstafam #booktour

𝙎𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙏𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙈𝙤𝙣

𝙎𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙏𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝘿𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝙍𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙯 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙏𝙤𝙪𝙧

#QOTD: Are your reading habits affected by the season?

Mine sure does! I start reading more thriller/ supernatural fiction with the onset of fall.

Vera Martinez’s parents are famous demonologists who travel around the world, helping people. Due to her parents’ profession, Vera has been an outcast throughout her life and wishes to escape Roaring Creek.

Maxwell Oliver doesn’t believe in ghosts but when his mother starts acting different, he begins to question everything he has ever known. Having already lost his father in a tragic accident, he must reach out to Vera, whom he has always shunned and made fun of, in order to save his family.

But without any special powers, Vera contemplates how to help Max in the absence of her parents.

Alternating between Vera and Max’s POV, this gripping piece of work had me hooked from the very beginning. The chilling small-town setting with a demonic cult had me on edge throughout the book. With demonic possession, cursed objects, a creepy cult and a bit of romance, this book has all the ingredients for a perfect YA thriller. I loved the writing; it is detailed and almost as atmospheric as watching a horror movie.

The characters are well written. The development of friendship and romance between the MCs is gradual and doesn’t overpower the story. With a swearing priest, an adorable little sibling and an aunt who likes to stress-cooks, the side characters add depth and humor to the story. Overall, I would totally recommend this paranormal thriller to kick start the witchy season!

Inspired from The Conjuring, this contemporary tale is a fitting tribute to the original Warrens family by author @dianawallachauthor.

Thank you @tbrbeyondtours for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Check out the entire tour schedule along with an international giveaway being hosted at their website.

#TBRBeyondTours #SmallTownMonsters #DianaRodriguezWallach #booktour #bookreview #thriller #horror #supernaturalfiction

~~~𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚃𝚘𝚞𝚛~~~

Today is my tour stop for An Ordinary Wonder by @bukipapillon. The audiobook is being released by @orangeskyaudio on 7th September and is narrated by Adjoa Andoh (famous for her roles in Doctor Who and most recently as Lady Danbury in Bridgerton series).

An ordinary Wonder follows the journey of Oto as he navigates through the cruel environment at home and deals with his feelings for his roommate at boarding school. Richly imagined with art, proverbs and folk tales, this is a moving story revolving around the intersex identity of a teenager.

Swipe write to read the full synopsis of this powerful coming-of-age story. Complete review to follow soon!

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐋 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑-𝐖𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘
3 lucky readers will win a six-month subscription to Scribd!!

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑
- Like & leave a comment
- Follow me, @orangeskyaudio & @mtmctours

𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒
- Tag friends in different comments!
- Visit #AnOrdinaryWonderMTMC from September 6th to September 12th for more tour posts & chances to win!

Ends on September 18th. Must be 18+ or have parental permission to enter. Winner announced on MTMC Tours' account. (Not affiliated/endorsed by Instagram)

#anordinarywonder #orangeskyaudio #mtmctours #booktour #bookstafam #booktok #delhibookstafam #bookpromotion #bookstagramgiveaway

“𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺

“𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”

𝚂𝚒𝚡 𝙲𝚛𝚒𝚖𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝙲𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚋𝚢 𝙴𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚊𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚑 𝙻𝚒𝚖

Growing up, my mom got me the most luxurious set of fairytale hardcovers from a book fair and it used to be my most prized possession. Sadly, it got lost while shifting homes a few years back but my obsession with fairytales remains intact.

Six Crimson Cranes by @elimpix is a beautifully written retelling of The Wild Swans with an Asian twist. Set in the kingdom of Kiata where Princess Shiori lives with her father, six brothers and her step-mother. Spoilt by the love of her father and brothers, Shiori is mischievous and rebellious with secret magical powers, which she must hide from the world since magic is banned in Kiata.

On the day of her betrothal ceremony, she finds herself in trouble when she jumps into the lake to save Kiki, a paper crane she made using magic and is saved by Seryu, the Dragon. As she learns to control her magic with the help of lessons from Seryu, she learns she’s not the only person with magical powers inside the Palace.

Cursed by their step-mother, Shiori and her brothers must find a way to undo the curse and save their kingdom.

From magical fairytale vibes to talking birds to a friendly dragon, this book has all the ingredients for a great book. Add an adorable enemies-to-lovers romance along with heartwarming siblings’ relationship, this book becomes PERFECT!!

Six Crimson Cranes is a truly delightful and enchanting. Having grown with 6 elder brothers(cousins) myself, I loved the bond between Shiro and her siblings. It was heartwarming to see them do anything for each other.

I am really looking forward to reading the sequel of this duology.

𝙏𝙤𝙠𝙮𝙤 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝘼𝙛𝙩

𝙏𝙤𝙠𝙮𝙤 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙮 𝙀𝙢𝙞𝙠𝙤 𝙅𝙚𝙖𝙣

I grew up on a steady dose of Princess Diaries. My school library had the entire collection and I used to bunk my math class and hide out in the library, reading and well, dreaming.

Izumi’s life is upended when she learns her father is the Crown Prince of Japan.
Growing up as an Asian American in a white community, Izumi ache to truly belong somewhere and thus, she travels to Tokyo to meet her father and get to know the missing part of herself. Her journey from a common teenager to Her Imperial Highness is heartwarming.

The writing is witty and so full of life. The rich Japanese culture is depicted beautifully and it was easy to be transported into Izumi’s world. While the plot was predictable at times, it was executed brilliantly! I am super excited for the sequel @emikojeanbooks!!

Want more reasons to read this one now? This book is a perfect combination of different subplots like -
• Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians
• Relatable and easy to love characters
• Forbidden romance
• Subplot involving a parent-trap like situation
• Sarcastic and witty dialogues

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

#booksrecommendation #tokyoeverafter #forbiddenlove #parenttrap #bookstagramfeature #booksacrossgenres #bookishlife #bookishfriendsarethebestfriends

𝕀𝕗 𝕆𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕓𝕪 𝔸𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕝𝕒 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕤

I rarely DNF or criticize a book but this was one frustrating read.

The story focuses on three friends in their late twenties, each dealing with problems of their own. Cher wants her handsome boss to fall for her. Sarah, having an affair with a married man, is scheming to make him leave his family by getting pregnant. Deb, wants her over-bearing future mother-in-law to stop interfering in her life.
One night, the three friends in their drunken state decide to cast a spell from an old book in order to fulfil their desires.

Honestly, the whole plot was outdated, predictable and cringe-worthy. None of the characters were likeable and the three MCs were made to look extremely dumb and self-obsessed. Even the kids in the story seemed obnoxious.

Deb’s storyline had potential but it was hardly explored. Instead, what we got more of Cher being manipulated by her arrogant boss and Sarah bending over backwards to convince her boyfriend to leave his family behind to start a new one with her 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

On a positive note, the writing was good, with a few entertaining moments in between. I can see why the author is popular and would probably read on her crime series.

I would like to thank @netgalley and @bookouture for providing me with an audiobook.

#bookstagram #netgalley #bookstagramfeature #bookstagramfamily #delhibookstafam #indiabookstagram #bookishlyengaged #bookishgirl

“𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘮

“𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥.”

Do you judge books by cover? I certainly do!

This beautiful cover tricked me into thinking Instructions for Dancing to be a sweet rom-com but in all honesty, this book is heartbreaking and beautiful!!

Once an avid rom-com reader and believer, Evie’s faith in love is questioned after her parent’s divorce, so much so that she donates her once cherished collection of romance novels.

Amidst mysterious/ magical circumstances surrounding her, Evie finds herself participating in a local dance competition with X (Xavior) as her dance partner

As the two draw closer, Evie if forced to face her feelings for X while deciding if the high of love is worth the low of heartbreak that comes along..

This heartbreaking and beautiful book by @nicolayoon is a wonderful reminder to cherish the time we have with our loved ones. It will make you smile and then make you weep💔

While the whole magical realism thing was a bit of a cliché, the book as a whole turned out to be delightful! The writing is great, the world building is enchanting and the characters are definitely worth knowing.

Evie is mocking and snarky and I could connect with her vulnerability. X is sweet, funny, confident and total sweetheart and the chemistry between the two is effortless and fun.

#bookrecommendations #bookstagrammer #bookstafriends #boosktafeature #delhibookstafam #indiabookstagram #yabookrecs

Trigger Warning: Anxiety, Depression Maybe you sh

Trigger Warning: Anxiety, Depression

Maybe you should talk to someone is a beautiful and hilarious memoire about a therapist, her therapist and her patients. After life throws her a curve ball, Lori seeks help from another therapist. What follows is a yearlong journey of self-discovery, all the while helping her patients deal with their problems.

This book unlocked something in me and made me want to open up about my struggle with depression. Please skip the rest of the caption in case it overwhelms you.

If you’ve been following me for a while here, you’ll know I’ve not been very active with posting and interacting for the past 4-5 months. I’d been going through a difficult phase.
When the second wave hit India, my family and I also tested positive for covid and while that period was difficult to say the least, we all recovered thankfully. But I lost my source of livelihood. The lockdown led to my entire industry to shut down. Not being able to earn, not knowing what comes next led to anxiety, panic attacks, sleepless nights and ultimately falling back into depression.

After two months of lying-in bed, eating junk and watching reruns of Gey’s Anatomy, I knew I needed help so I finally reached out to my therapist again. Asking for help was tough but also something necessary to get better.

A month and a half later, here I am, still recovering and healing from the traumas of past two years. I am getting out of bed, even if it’s a struggle. I am reading again, have started posting again (all part of forming a routine). I have started opening up about my financial struggles, started looking at alternate career options and I know, there’s a long road ahead of me but right now all I can deal with is one day at a time.

By talking about my mental health, I want anyone reading this to know that it’s okay to reach out for help. We all are have lost so much to this pandemic and it’s okay to grieve the life you had before covid. It’s okay to not be okay, to feel the way you’re feeling. Also, I want you to know this account will always be a safe space to open up and I am always a dm away if you ever need to rant or talk or even cry about anything ❤️

~ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝔸𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕂. 𝔸𝕨𝕒𝕪 𝕓𝕪 𝕁𝕖𝕟𝕟𝕪 𝕃𝕖𝕖~

Anna K. was one of the most surprising reads of 2020 for me - fun, quirky with a shocking ending.

The sequel begins right where the first book ended. Heartbroken and devastated Anna is left to deal with the aftermath of the events of last year. To escape the scandals, Anna’s father decides it would be better for her to spend a year away with his family in South Korea.
All alone in a new country, Anna, still grieving, realizes she needs to figure out what she wants for herself rather than following the path everyone has laid down for her.

Meanwhile, back in New York, other characters(Steven, Lolly, Kimmy, Dean and Natalia) are dealing with their own problems in the typical manner– by spending $$$$ at the drop of a hat. There’s more of lavish parties, sex, drugs, drama mixed with a bit of K-pop.

I was excited to read what adventures @jennyleewrites has planned for the characters and she does not disappoint. The writing is fresh, easy to follow and fast paced. While Anna does take center stage, I liked how every character was given a steady plot. complete in itself.
Lee does a wonderful job of portraying Anna and Bea’s pain. Grief usually hits us in waves and it can be felt throughout the book.

I feel the change of setting is also something that works in the favour of this book. While the first book was mainly set in New York/ Greenwich, the second book has our characters travelling all around the world.

And while I still find most of the characters shallow and self-centered (maybe because I don’t have multi-millionaire parents), their struggle with complex relationships, complicated and absentee parents and grief is very real and relatable.

Despite covering the storyline for the perspective of more than 5 different characters, Jenny Lee manages to keep the plot steady and fast paced throughout the book and though I enjoyed the first book better, by the end of this one I was craving for more! I really do hope we get to see the next chapter of Anna’s life.

If you’re looking for something fun and lightweight, this book is worth a try!

#bookrecommendations #bookreview #kpop #bookstafamindia

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕪

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕪 𝕎𝕒𝕣 𝕓𝕪 𝕁𝕦𝕝𝕚𝕖 𝔹𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕪

“𝔏𝔢𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔪 𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔡𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔣𝔲𝔩 𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔰, 𝔩𝔢𝔱 𝔡𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔲𝔠𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔯𝔞𝔦𝔫 𝔡𝔬𝔴𝔫, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔩𝔢𝔱 𝔭𝔩𝔞𝔤𝔲𝔢 𝔰𝔴𝔢𝔢𝔭 𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 ℑ 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔟𝔢 𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢, 𝔡𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔪𝔶 𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔨, 𝔥𝔬𝔩𝔡𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔥𝔲𝔪𝔞𝔫𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔬𝔤𝔢𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔢 𝔩𝔦𝔨𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰.”

Lovely War is a brilliant depiction of historical romance served with a pinch of Greek mythology. Set against the backdrop of WWI, this tale is about two entwined love stories, narrated by the Greek goddess of love and passion, Aphrodite herself.

WWII is at its peak when Aphrodite is caught with her lover, Ares in an affair by her husband Hephaestus. On demanding an explanation, Aphrodite narrates the tale of four young hearts: James & Hazel and Aubrey and Colette in order to prove her innocence and the everlasting beauty of mortal love.

You can check out the complete review on my blog(link in bio).

The interweaving story of four hearts is full of love, passion, heartbreak, loss, grief and above all hope. The narrative by @julieberrybooks is captivating, just like her characters.
While each of the mortal character is vibrant and authentic and brilliantly written, my personal favorite would be Aphrodite, the goddess of love herself. I really like how the whole narrative by Greek Gods has been incorporated.

The demonstration of racism and sexism of the period has been done impressively. This book features the efforts of African Americans in the war heavily. Not enough has been said or written in history or historical fiction for that matter about the sacrifice and role of black community in serving the country, despite facing intense prejudice and racism in the army.

Lovely War is a beautiful narrative of war and its effect on people. It captures every emotion of human experiences during wars.

#historicalfiction #worldwar1 #greekmythology #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #delhibookstafam #indiabookstagrammer #tbbbox #bookrecommendations #bookreviewersofinstagram

𓂀 𝕌𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕒 𝕊𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕟 𝕊𝕜𝕪 𓂀

The story begins with disguised Ruby Locke on a flight from JFK to Sicily, wondering how she went from being a beloved Hollywood star to the most hated person in US.
After some vile and bigoted content is posted from her social media accounts, Ruby finds herself amidst a raging controversy. To make matters worse, her fiancé dumps her rather publicly.

Following a public outrage, Ruby’s agent suggests that she must say low and hide out the controversy.

Heartbroken and scared, Ruby is flown out to a secluded villa in Sicily. Accompanying her in exile are two bodyguards and an extremely cute Yorkshire terrier. Then there is Mitch, the handsome homeowner.

As she struggles to get her name cleared and find answers about the mystery hacker whose set to destroy her career, she ponders over her life in limelight and what is it that she truly wants.

I enjoyed this book so much. The writing is funny and fresh. Ruby’s struggle with Italian is hilarious and I was laughing out loud for 10 minutes straight during a particular translation of “hormones” and “endorphins”.

The world building is extremely detailed and vivid. I simply loved the picturesque setting of both Sicily and Isle of Sky. The mystery surrounding the identity of the hacker was intact throughout which made this book into a real page turner.

While mystery kept me hooked, I really enjoyed the slow-burn romance between Ruby and Mitch. All the side characters, including the bodyguards and village locals are extremely well written and I liked each one of them. The cherry on the cake was two paw-dorable furry characters 🐶🐶

Although it’s all light and breezy, it does touch an important topic of cyberbullying. While it’s easy to sit behind a screen and judge someone, especially a celebrity from the comfort of your home, you never know how your words can destroy the other person.

This book made for a perfect summer escape and am definitely looking forward to reading more from author @lisahobmanauthor.

Lastly, I'd like to thank @bookandtonic and @netgalley for providing me an e-Arc of the book in exchange for an honest review.

~~~𝟙𝟡-𝟘𝟞-𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙~~~

#𝓠𝓞𝓣𝓓: ℑ𝔣 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔥𝔞𝔡 𝔱𝔬 𝔠𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔢 𝔞 𝔱𝔬𝔬𝔩𝔨𝔦𝔱 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔰𝔢𝔩𝔣-𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔢, 𝔴𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔦𝔳𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔢𝔰/ 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰 𝔴𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡 𝔞𝔡𝔡 𝔱𝔬 𝔦𝔱?

It's my stop today on the blog tour for Words Composed by Sea and Sky by @theericageorge , organised by the lovely people at @favouritepagesclub.

First off, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate the title of the book, it just sounds so dreamy and perfect to me.

This historical romance is a tale of two young poets, divided by centuries but united by the town legend, Benjamin Churchill, a whaler who died over 100 yearsago.

You can check out the full review on my blog (link in bio).

I truly enjoyed reading this story revolving around the life of two young poets from different eras.

This is a beautiful tale of love and art and passion. The two parallel timelines, though centuries apart, have been woven together exceptionally well and I loved how interconnected the storylines from past and present felt. Pierce boys from both the past (Elijah) and present (Finn) world were my favourites.
The setting of Cape Cod is simply gorgeous. I feel I have developed a secret obsession with lighthouses after reading this book! (You should seriously check out Cape Cod if you haven't yet).

While the concept and storyline are simply beautiful and by the end I was craving formore, I felt the whole book was too fast paced. It lacked dialogues and feelings at various places – like the relationship between Mack and her stepdad or even Mack and Finn could have been explored better.

If you're looking for a light summer read, I'll definitely recommend this book.
To participate in the International giveaway for the book, head over to @favouritepagesclub .

I received an e-ARC of this book from @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Swipe to see some of my favourites quotes from the book.

#blogtour #bookstagram #delhibookstafam #flatlaybooks #unitedbookstagram #indiabookstagrammer #bookrecommendations

Okay so this might sound like a rant but it’s re

Okay so this might sound like a rant but it’s really not. This post is more like a life update I am doing for myself so that I can come back to this, maybe a year later and feel accomplished.

I started 2020 with a bang! Went for a solo trip, applied for relocating to Canada, decided to venture on my own and booked tickets for a long pending Bali trip with my girlfriends – and Bam! Pandemic happens!

Two months into the lockdown – I found myself spiralling down. My trip got cancelled, events were postponed and facing a 70% pay cut is never fun. I turned to books for support but found myself drowning in anxiety. That’s when I created this account with absolutely no idea of what to do with it. On my very first day here I stumbled upon this book about two authors on a beach holiday and I thought well, if I can’t have my beach holiday, I can atleast read about it.

Beach Read by Emily Henry will always be a special book for me. January and Gus, two bestselling authors dealing with writer’s block, strike a deal to get out of their creative ruts and things get serious.
While the storyline was predictable, the writing was extremely refreshing and hilarious. The snarky banter between January and Gus made me laugh out loud and their cute moments together left me. This book saved me from hitting rock bottom and I will forever be grateful for that.

A year later, I am proud to say I can see my life coming together. I am grateful to have found this lovely group of people here who look out for each other. A huge shout out to you guys!! I enrolled in an MBA program and started the process of incorporating my company. While life’s not perfect, I am excited to see what’s next!

Prompt: Slow burn Romance @muffytales #ReadingWithMuffy2021
Prompt: Romance Novel #LGoYearathon #LGoYearathonFeb #LGoMistleToe

“𝑻𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒂

“𝑻𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒅, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒏𝒆.”

After seeing this book all over bookstagram, it was in my wishlist for the longest time and as much as I wanted to love this book, I just couldn’t.

Cath and her twin sister, Wren have been inseparable for their entire life and writing fanfiction about their favourite bestselling book series has been their thing. But as they graduate high school and find their way to college, Wren decides she wants to venture and explore college on her own.

For Cath, dealing with social anxiety, the whole meeting new people and getting through college without Wren being a constant is an overwhelming experience. She would rather spend time in a fictional world than explore the real world. So while Wren enjoys college by partying every night, Cath spends her free time holed up in her dorm room and working on fanfiction.

I loved how the author has dealt with mental illnesses throughout the book. Whether it was about Cath’s social anxiety or trust/ abandonment issues or her father’s mental health, it was all written beautifully.

I also liked the way Cath’s complex character was written. I could totally relate to her introverted nature and the need to resist change. Levi was a total sweetheart and there were a few scenes between Levi and Cath that were adorable but that’s it.

I found the fanfiction pages dragged out and mostly unrelated. I would have liked to read more about the romance between Levi and Cath rather than reading about Simon and Baz (the characters from fanfiction that seems totally inspired by characters of a certain magical school).

Overall, while the romance was cute and all, this book was a disappointing experience for me.

February prompt: Slow Burn Romance #ReadingWithMuffy2021 @muffytales

Prompt: A Book that starts with F | Heart on the cover

#LGoYearathon #LGoYearathonFeb #LGoMistleToe #bookreview #igers #bookstagrammer #readingchallenge2021

“Didn’t someone say, Failure is the best teach

“Didn’t someone say, Failure is the best teacher? Forget it. It’s probably from a Marvel movie. Anyway, it’s really true.”

✨✨Book tour and Giveaway✨✨

Thank you @author.gfmiller and @favouritepagesclub for organizing this book tour and providing me with an eArc of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb: Perfect for fans of Geekerella and Jenn Bennett, this charming, sparkly rom-com follows a wish-granting teen forced to question if she’s really doing good—and if she has the power to make her own dreams come true.

Charity believes herself to be the modern-day fairy-godmother as she can ‘glimpse’ people’s future. She makes it her life’s purpose to help others get their fairytale moment and is happy to be on the sidelines. That is, until she meets Noah, who threatens to unveil her secret unless she helps him fulfil his wish.

This book is so refreshing and cute and hilarious. Both the main characters are so adorable and I love the chemistry between them. The constant banter between the two sets the stage for a great rom-com. While Charity seems to be a little self-absorbed and annoying at first, she does believe she’s doing the best for others. Noah is a total geek and an absolute sweetheart and he has my heart! Even the side characters are fun.

Though I would have liked some more romance between the two characters, I totally loved the book! If you are a fan of enemies-to-lovers and fake dating trope, you will definitely love this one! To participate in the giveaway for this adorable book, head over to the @favouritepagesclub page.

Head over to my blog for the complete review.✨✨

Prompt: A cute fluffy read | Fake dating book | Fairytale retelling

#booktour #glimpsed #lgoyearathon #lgoyearathonfeb #lgoyearathonmistletoe #bookreview #favouritepagesclub #bookishbabesunite #bookstagramfeature #igbooks

“𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒊𝒏. 𝑨𝒏𝒅, 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝑰 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚.”

Book Review: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

I’ll be honest, I picked up this book only because of bookstagram and after drowning in a couple of intense reads, this book was like coming up for air.

Twenty-eight-year-old Luc often finds himself at the receiving end of negative media, owing to moderately famous parents. When his absentee dad decides to make a comeback as the judge on a reality TV show, Luc is once again the center of attention for the paparazzi.

And when one of Luc’s photo in a controversial position goes viral and donors for the charity he works for starts pulling out, he receives an ultimatum from his stuffy boss – he must pull his life together or risk losing his job.

So, Luc decides the best way to repair his image of a drug-addict Casanova would be to be seen in a committed relationship with someone respectable and thus enters Oliver Blackwood, a terribly proper (and insanely good looking) and successful criminal barrister.

Apart from being gay and single having a common friend, they pretty much have nothing in common. But since both of them are in dire need of a plus one for an important event in their lives respectively, they decide to fake-date.

This book got the “fake-dating” trope bang on. The book has been written in Luc’s pov and is absolutely hilarious. He is sarcastic, funny and a total wreck. Oliver is adorable and a total control freak. The slow romance is just so good.

What I really liked that none of the characters are perfect and I simply loved how both Luc and Oliver deal with their issues. Even the side characters are extremely likable, especially Luc’s mom and friends.

The author has also dealt with the topic of casual homophobia brilliantly throughout the book. Overall, this book made for a cute and fun read.

Prompt: Clear my tbr for #lgoyearathon #lgoyearathonjan #lgonewbeginnings
#romance #slowburn #fiction #igreads

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