Fae

Review of Best Wishes by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Saffron Sawyer is on her own. She’s no longer part of the Office of Faery Godmothers – in fact, she’s no longer part of anything, even if her magic is stronger now than she could have ever dreamed possible. Thwarted at every turn and stalked by monsters in the streets, her life feels like it’s falling apart.

But Saffron isn’t going to give up hope. She’s sworn revenge on the Director and she can’t forget about Jasper and the way he makes her feel. And when some familiar faces come knocking at her door, she might just have found the answers she’s been looking for.

Review:
I loved everything about this book. How spunky Saffron is, how she recognizes that if she had to make it without magic, she can find a way to manage and still bring joy to people while doing so. I love how much Saffron wants to help people, even when she isn’t an official faery godmother. I also absolutely love the comradery and relationships built that help Saffron move on and fight a completely new battle for something that isn’t quite what she’d always wanted. The message that sometimes what you have wanted your whole life isn’t exactly what you need, or exactly what you’d thought it would be, is something that can resonate with many people. There are oftentimes when you think life is going one way and you find yourself doing maybe even the same thing, but in an adjacent to how you thought it would be capacity.

Saffron’s ability to read people, deal with people, and remain her sparky self continue to dazzle in this book, and I am so glad for how things turned out for her with Vincent, and Pumpkin, and of course her friends and Jasper. This was a perfect ending to the series, even if I wished it could have been a bit more/longer. Highly recommend this book, as well as everything else of Harper’s I’ve read thus far. She’s an incredible gem when it comes to modern fantasy–great characters, great plots, smooth reading.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of As You Wish by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
It’s a dirty job when you’re a faery godmother … but someone’s got to do it.

Saffron Sawyer’s world is spinning out of control in more ways than one. Her newly acquired pooch, Pumpkin, hates her guts and it’s highly possible that the trolls are reneging on their promise of temporary peace. Saffron is also on her way to setting the world record for the number of magical wands lost in one month while the continued proximity of Jasper, the emerald eyed Devil’s Advocate, is turning her into a near helpless lust puddle.

Unfortunately, life is never simple in the Office of Faery Godmother … especially when your past mistakes are preparing to come back and haunt you.

Review:
“The only limits are the ones we place on ourselves.” (Page 21)

This book really set Saffron up to show that she has guts. She keeps getting knocked down despite doing admirably, with harder things continuously putting her at risk, but she never once considers letting others that may be considered “stronger” or “higher up” deal with the people she’s upset. I absolutely love her interactions with Jasper, as well as her “sidekick” Vincent, and who couldn’t love Pumpkin? While I do not necessarily wish it on anyone, I did really like how PTSD from previous jobs was shown/represented in this book, and how despite everything Saffron has been through, she, too, could crack. I couldn’t believe where this story ended–what a cliffhanger! Be prepared to start book 4 immediately after.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Wish List by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
You don’t have to be mad to work at the Office of Faery Godmothers. But you do have to be magic.

Saffron Sawyer is a faery on a mission. She may no longer have the same rose-tinted spectacles about her job as she once did, but she’s still determined to be the best faery godmother that there is. And when she’s given the role as leader of a taskforce designed to hunt down the elusive trolls, she knows it’s her time to step up and be counted.

Juggling her new responsibilities while dealing with difficult clients isn’t easy, however. Danger lurks around every corner – and Jasper, the handsome and powerful Devil’s Advocate, is continually looming over her shoulder in the office.

Can Saffron prove her worth to the world of magic? Or will she make one mistake too many and find herself in mortal danger?

Review:
“Because the only person I’ve seen with a drive and will to succeed that surpasses my own is you,” he said simply. “What you lack in experience, you gain in determination.” (Page 16)

This book showed that Saffron really is willing to go above and beyond to do anything and everything for her clients, which perhaps a cat shaped tattoo should have alerted us to earlier. While Saffron is stuck trying to figure out exactly what Jasper and she want, she’s also stuck trying to take care of a very cantankerous client who refuses to open up, and lead people on a task force that rather refuse to listen to her. Every time Saffron does something serious, she finds herself thinking it’s the end for her faery godmother career. It is so refreshing to see a character who cares that much about everyone–even those that definitely aren’t as welcoming and kind to her(here’s looking at you, Pumpkin).

I couldn’t wait and immediately downloaded (and am currently reading) the next book. I highly recommend this book if you read the first, but by now you know I’m an avid Helen Harper fan, and recommend her for your Modern/Urban Fantasy reads.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Wishful Thinking by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
Muddled magic. Missing faeries. She’s having one spell of a day at work…

Saffron Sawyer has ambition by the bucketload and magic at her fingertips. When she lands a position at the esteemed Office of Faery Godmothers, she thinks all her dreams have come true.

But it’s not all glitter and glass slippers, especially with emerald eyed Jasper, the Devil’s Advocate, who is looming over everything. And when Saffron learns that other faery godmothers have been going missing, she realises that she might just be in over her head.

Wishful Thinking is the first book in the refreshingly original How To Be The Best Damn Faery Godmother in the World (or Die Trying) urban fantasy series. If you love determined heroines, enchanting spins on old tales, and clever twists and turns, then you’ll love Helen Harper’s captivating story.

Review:
“No matter what else was going on, I was still going to be the most awesome faery godmother the world had ever seen.” (Page 58)

I absolutely love Saffron Sawyer. She is what so many people wish they could be–someone with a plan, who tries to always stay positive while doing the right thing and keeping to her own morals. The tension between Jasper and Saffron is unbelievable, and while he can be quite frustrating at times, I cannot help but hope that in the end, they manage to realize how perfect they are for each other. Though Saffron doesn’t come from the uppity high end faery world, I really appreciated how much of her background as a dope faery makes her more knowledgeable and understanding of people’s wants, desires, ulterior motives, and how to look at getting them what they really want. She is in a world where she doesn’t look the part, but she has the right stuff, and it was so wonderful seeing her give her dream her all and truly shining while doing so. I absolutely loved this book, and immediately started on book 2.

If you like plucky heroines that aren’t perfect, who sometimes screw up and yet own it and try to still get the upper hand, along with magical hijinks and a slow burn romance, I’d highly recommend this book/series and Helen Harper’s novels in general.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

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Synopsis:
Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project yet: studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world: How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

Review:
This book had me in a bit of a choke hold–I wanted to continue, yet I wanted to wait and hope that everything was okay enough where I was. There were a lot of tragedies and parts where Emily really had to decide what she thought of as worthy–she had to go on quite the adventure! Her connection with Shadow really resonated with me, going through watching a beloved pet age and trying anything, everything, to give them as much more quality time as you can make happen. The realization by both parties that you must make sacrifices and compromises for those you love rings true of any relationship, and I feel so pleased to have gotten to read more of Emily and Wendell’s journey together. That being said, I am not so certain that this is the end… after all, Emily still has a lot more academic papers and books to pen.

I highly recommend the Emily Wilde series to any who love fantasy, romantasy, fae who act like those of old (not just made into romantic versions thereof), and an emotional rollercoaster to go along with it.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of A Heart of Desire and Deceit by Elayna R. Gallea

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Synopsis:
How does one pick up the pieces of their life after it has been obliterated by the person they mistakingly trusted?

Ryker Waterborn’s heart is broken, and his wife is a killer. Their marriage is a sham, built on a foundation of murder, lies, and deceit. They’re broken. Destroyed. Yet, even after hearing her confession, Ryker cannot leave Brynleigh in the Pit.

In an act of foolish love, he makes a deal to set Brynleigh free. All she has to do is go back to her Maker and find evidence that Jelisette de la Point is a traitor.

That’s easier said than done, but Brynleigh is left with no choice. She can either accept the deal or rot behind bars. Worse than all that is her relationship with Ryker.

Once, she thought they’d get a happy ending. Now, an ocean divides them.

She broke the rules and fell in love, but is love powerful enough to save them?

This is the second half of Ryker and Brynleigh’s duet, and should be read after A Game of Love and Betrayal.

Review:
Oh my goodness. There were so many JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER ALREADY moments in this book! I am very glad we got to see both Brynleigh and Ryker’s perspectives throughout this or it would have been completely maddening. While I expected a bit of resistance at the end, I hadn’t expected what actually happened, but it also seemed like a bit of a let down with how fast everything happened–almost as if things were too easy for Ryker and Brynleigh.

Personally, I really enjoyed Ryker and all of the “how you act reflects on me” moments, as that’s something I heard often growing up.

I quite liked the ending, though I am not certain I’d read this book duology again.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of A Game of Love and Betrayal By Elayna R. Gallea

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Synopsis:
He requires a wife. She needs to kill him. All’s fair in pursuit of love and revenge.

What’s a vampire to do when the fae who made her an orphan is searching for a wife?

Make him choose her and end his life on their wedding night, of course.

Brynleigh has been carefully planning this for years. Her plan is simple: date Ryker Waterborn, the Fae Representative’s son, make him fall in love with her, and kill him after they say, “I do.”

Unfortunately, it won’t be that easy. She won’t be the only one going after Ryker’s hand. Far from it. Two dozen men and women are competing in the Choosing, each searching for their perfect partner. The catch? It’s a blind selection process, and contestants won’t see each other until they have made their choice.

Nothing will stand between Brynleigh and her revenge, not even a competition for love.

A Game of Love and Betrayal is the first book in The Choosing Chronicles, a captivating enemies-to-lovers, new adult urban high fantasy romance.

Review:
I did truly like this book, but I’m not sure that the synopsis really explains it that well. Ryker is honestly looking for a wife and Brynleigh, well, she’s looking for something different entirely. It took me a bit to get into this book because it starts with Brynleigh in a very unique situation. From the very beginning, in the first chapter, we are told how hard it is for vampires to break away from their Maker, so it makes sense that Brynleigh does her best to appease hers. It becomes clear very early on that Brynleigh and Ryker are two very different people. The televised/blind aspect of this competition made it quite unique.

Both Brynleigh and Ryker both have trauma from their past that effects them more than one usually sees in a fae/vampire romance. If you’re looking for a morally grey female, this is it. As for this being enemies-to-lovers… somewhat from one side.

*This book ends on an ABSOLUTEY HORRIBLE cliffhanger, so be prepared to get book 2 immediately

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette

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Synopsis:
Two rival writers.
One prestigious publishing contract.
A bargain of hearts and desire.

They say never bargain with the fae. They also say don’t get drunk on fae wine. Yet romance author Edwina Danforth has managed a blunder with both on her first visit to the infamous faelands. Now she’s trapped in a magic-fueled bet she barely remembers with a man she’d be happier to forget. The terms? Whoever can bed the most lovers during their month-long dueling book tour wins a coveted publishing contract.

The win should be easy for Edwina. She’s known for penning scintillating tales of whirlwind romance. There’s just one problem: her imagination vastly exceeds her bedroom experience. But when failure means plummeting her career back into obscurity, losing isn’t an option.

Her handsome fae rival, William Haywood, poses an even greater challenge. Not only are his looks as aggravatingly perfect as his track record behind closed doors, but he has his own reasons for playing to win, and he won’t go down without a fight. Unless, of course, it’s a different kind of going down. In that case, he’s fair game.

Edwina and William clash in a rivalry of romance. But what happens when their objects of desire…turn out to be each other?

Review:
I was uncertain what to think of this novel and put it off for quite a time because I love Tessonja Odette and didn’t want to become sour of her if this book didn’t live up to the expectations I had from loving all of her other novels. That was a silly notion, because Odette did an amazing job putting a book tour through all of our favourite fairy tale haunts. I loved how there were plenty of bits of fairy tale magic without it being a direct retelling of any of the fairy tales. I absolutely adored the banter and connection between Edwina and William; no part of this book felt forced or out of place. This book certainly had me rooting for everyone, uncertain but hoping that somehow everyone gets exactly what they wish, want, and need. One of the things I adored about this book is that everyone is considered amazing just as they are; there is no desire or attempt to change things that might be considered unruly by human standards.

If it had been out at the time of finishing, I would have immediately started the second book in the series. This book is a no brainer for people who love romance and fairy tales and reading late into the night waiting to see if there’s a happy ever after on the horizon.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater

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Synopsis:
The faeries of Witchwood Manor have stolen its young lord. His governess intends to steal him back.

Victorian governess Winifred Hall knows a con when she sees one. When her bratty young charge transforms overnight into a perfectly behaved block of wood, she soon realises that the real boy has been abducted by the Fair Folk. Unfortunately, the lord of Witchwood Manor is the only man in England who doesn’t believe in faeries—which leaves Winnie in the unenviable position of rescuing the young lord-to-be all by herself.

Witchwood Manor is bigger than its inhabitants realise, however, and full of otherworldly dangers. As Winnie delves deeper into the other side of the house, she enlists the aid of its dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr Quincy, who hides several awful secrets behind his charming smile. Winnie hopes to make her way to the centre of the Witchwood Knot through wit and cleverness… but when all of her usual tricks fail, who will she dare to trust?

Review:
I wasn’t certain how I was going to feel about this book as I started it, realizing that Winifred is very different to what one expects from a governess. Her unlikely background made me absolutely fall in love with her. I absolutely love the world of Half a Soul so getting to continue on and read more in that universe is always a treat. I loved how well this book blended the fantasy with the realistic societal expectations of the time for women. I adore how the villain is both not what you’d expect, and yet those wrapped up with them is entirely who you would expect. This book is perfect. It has relatable characters, slowly developed relationships, realism mixed with the perfect amount of fantastical.

I highly recommend this book to any who love fairy tales, fairy tale retellings, magic, fantasy, mystery, adventure and a bit of romance sprinkled on top.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of How To Fae It With A Fae by Amy Boyles

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Synopsis:
A broody fae king bent on revenge meets his match in this hilarious modern romance.

Book lover Addison Thornrose can match you with your next perfect read. Unfortunately, she can’t match herself with a good man. Her latest just dumped her. Worse, she’s learned that unless she marries, and quickly, her family will lose their witch magic—forever.

Feylin, king of the fae, has no interest in romance. In fact, the only thing he’s interested in is getting revenge on the Thornrose family for ruining his life. So when he learns that they’re holding a Bridgerton style ball to marry off their oldest daughter, Addison, he sees an opportunity for vengeance.

But what Feylin doesn’t expect is to start falling for Addison. And worse, he really doesn’t expect it when ancient fae magic binds them together.

His solution is to strike a bargain—be in a fake relationship. Just until they can break the spell between them, and just until he can get his revenge.

For Addison, this is a dream come true! She doesn’t want to be pawned off to a line of suitors, and she certainly doesn’t want to be engaged. But between the spine-tingling fake dates and the tension-infused banter, lines begin to blur. And Addison begins to wonder when her heart will stop faking it and her feelings become real.

This grumpy/sunshine witch romcom features a ballroom dance complete with frilly gowns, a magical bookshop, a tight-knit family, sisterhood, and of course, the promise of true love. It’s the first in a series of stand-alone romances.

Review:
I absolutely loved this book, which is odd, because usually I’m not a huge fan of “forced” pairings. I thought this book did really well with the enemies to lovers troupe, and getting Addison and Feylin to learn more about each other. I did think the ending seemed a bit rushed, and a bit too obvious in the big horrible event being just so easily swept away and everything returned to normal and forgiven. Addison, come on, girl! I also believe that the true culprit was very obvious from the start, but I absolutely love who came to the rescue in a complete deus ex machina moment (no spoilers here!!) All in all, this book is a quick, fun, light read and I have been looking forward to continuing with the next one in the series once it came out. Now that I’ve written this review… time to read book 2!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

*This book was read in August, though reviewed now.