Book Review: If I Have To Be Haunted by Miranda Sun

 If I Have To Be Haunted by Miranda Sun

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the advance reader copy of this book for an honest review.

The story follows Cara Tang who has ghost speaking powers but doesn't want to be haunted. Particularly because her overbearing mother does not want her talking to ghosts and wants her to surpress her power and be the perfect daughter.

Cara keeps getting into fights with the local golden boy Zacharias Coleson who irritates her incredibly. Then she stumbles across Zach's dead body in the woods and she is the only one who can see and save him.

With the help of her grandmother who also happens to be a ghost she agrees to help resurrect Zach putting her at odds with her mother. Cara and Zach travel together into the liminal world relying on each other to survive and Cara starts to think she might not hate Zach as much as she first thought.

I started this book and initially I wasn't sure it was for me I felt abit older than the demographic this seemed aimed at. However once the characters entered the liminal world I felt a bit more invested in the story and seeing how it turned out and that turned this from a 3 to a 3.5 star for me.

The perfect cosy fall read ready for Halloween for those who like spooky but not too spooky.

I enjoyed some of the magical elements throughout this story however there were aspects that seemed to wrap up far too easily for the characters. Again though this could be the fact that I am older than the demographic for this book.

Overall I found this an enjoyable cosy read and would recommend this for a fall read. 

Thanks for Reading! 

Book Review: A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for the advance reader copy of this book for an honest review.

The book follows Effy Sayre who has always believed in fairy tales. This is because she has been haunted by visions of the fairy king since she was a child. Effy found solace in the works of Emrys Myrddin particularly his story Angharad where a mortal girl falls in love with the fairy king and destroys him.

When Mryddin's family announce a contest to redesign his house Hiraeth Manor she feels certain this is her destiny. However Hiraeth Manor turns out to be an impossible task it is decrepit and edging ever closer to the sea. Also when she arrives she happens to find another student at the manor literary scholar Preston Heloury who is studying Mryddin's work trying to prove that he is a fraud.

The two end up working together to investigate the authors legacy which leads them to uncover dark forces conspiring against them.

I really enjoyed this story in fact it got me out of a reading slump at the time and I happened to finish it within a couple of days.

I really enjoyed everything about this book from the magical elements, the gothic vibe and the mixture with fairy tales.

The story also deals with elements of important topics such as misogyny, trauma and mental health.

Overall a captivating read that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend. 

Thanks for Reading! 

Travel: A Day Trip to Mostar

A Day Trip to Mostar

Back in May 2022 me and my boyfriend had a holiday to Dubrovnik in Croatia, this is the perfect spot for day trips and sightseeing. From here we took a day trip to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina this included a guided tour of the city and entrance to multiple sights. Below is what I would recommend you do on a day trip to this wonderful country.

Visit an Ottoman House... Part of our tour included a visit to a traditional Ottoman House. These have been preserved as museums showcasing traditional furnishings such as rugs and ceramics. On this tour we received a free drink at the house in the courtyard I opted for a peppermint tea and my boyfriend bad a traditional coffee. The house was a really interesting part of the tour and really painted a picture of the culture and way of life in the past.

Travel: Kotor, Montenegro Day Trip

Kotor, Montenegro Day Trip

While in Dubrovnik another tour we booked onto was a trip to Kotor in Montenegro. This was an excursion booked for our holiday through TUI called The Best of Montenegro with a guided tour of the old town. 

I must admit that we skipped out on the guided tour due to our tour guide having lost her voice and therefore it was difficult to hear the tour. 

Overall these are what we recommend for the day trip to Kotor:

Travel: A Mykonos Getaway

 A Mykonos Getaway

Hotel - Myconian Korali

For our stay in Mykonos we picked the Myconian Korali Hotel, this hotel is rated 5 stars and the service did not disappoint. You are taken care of from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave. The hotel upgraded our room free of charge to a Rinia with a balcony and side sea view. This room was spacious and very modern with a bathroom intergrated into the large room with two mirrors and sinks and a giant freestanding bath.

Book Review: Zhara Guardians of the Dawn by S. Jae-Jones

 Zhara Guardians of the Dawn by S. Jae-Jones

3.5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Titan books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This books was described as Cinder meets Sailor Moon a book and a series that I love! Sign me up!

Zhara Guardians of the Dawn follows Jim Zhara born with powers that she does not know how to control and forced to hide them as magic is forbidden in the morning realms. Magicians are called abominations and are sentenced to death.

The only person who knows about Zhara's magic is her stepmother and she has to bow to her every whim caring for her blind younger sister.

However there are whispers of monsters in the marsh re-emerging and a chance encounter with a young man named Han introduces Zhara to the Guardians of the Dawn, a secret magical liberation society.

Together they discover a secret magical plague that is corrupting the magicians of Zanhei. Zhara must come to terms with her powers and unleash the warrior within to restore harmony.

I will start by saying there were many aspects of this story that I found enjoyable. The numerous nods towards Sailor Moon gave me much joy, I really enjoyed the plot of the book and felt the characters were well fleshed out.

The reason however for my lower score is that the book read abit more juvenile than I expected it too and I must admit the nicknames they two main love interests used made me cringe and I got abit sick of reading them.

Those things aside this story was enjoyable and I didn't struggle to finish it at all. I would be intrigued to read the sequel but I believe I might not be the right age demographic. 

Thanks for Reading!