humourous fantasy

Synopsis:
In this hilarious sequel to How to Summon a Fairy Godmother, Theodosia’s already survived being the evil stepsister in one fairy tale, but surviving fae bargains, fairy rings, and being turned into a hedgehog will be a whole new challenge.

Theodosia Balfour is in a panic—she has no clue how to handle her new life as a fairy’s familiar. She just can’t seem to find her place in Cecily’s land of decadence, doublespeak, and whimsy.

Moreover, Theo can’t stop thinking about Kasra, Cecily’s last familiar who is now living a cozy human life without any memories of his time in a fairy’s service. All she wants is to tell Kaz how she feels about him, but that’s impossible now. Then suddenly, the regent of the fairy kingdom reveals a secret that shocks Theo to her core and thrusts her into the role of detective to solve a thousand-year-old royal assassination attempt.

With time running out to catch the would-be assassin, Theo can rely on only her own wits and unique charm to discover what’s really going on.

Review:
This book had the ultimate mystery entwined within, while mixing with the melancholy of a missed connection/lost love. I absolutely loved how Theo’s days changed, and how despite once always worrying about what life would bring, now stuck in monotony. I absolutely loved seeing her make friends and the adventure she and her musical group end up in together, with Cecily! Seeing Cecily’s depth change from being eccentric and slightly held off boss to one willing to share all of herself and her life, not just the good/flashy/party parts was absolutely magical. I also figured out the main instigator before the end, which I was pretty proud of myself for. Despite having an inkling, it in no way changes the enjoyment of the story or the grand reveal.

I loved this book so much, and think anyone who loves comedy, a hint of romance, and fairy tales turned upside down will find this absolutely delightful.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Synopsis:
A desperate mother. A dubious escort. And a deranged author who won’t leave them alone.

Caroline Lindley is determined that her new romance novel will be her best one yet. Fantasy! Formal gowns! Fencing! And, of course, a twentysomething heroine to star in an enemies-to-lovers plot with all of Caroline’s favourite tropes.

But Lady Rosamund Hawkhurst is a thirty-six-year-old widow with two children, her sole focus is facilitating a peace treaty between her adopted nation and her homeland, and she flatly refuses to take the correct approach to there being Only One Bed.

What’s an author to do?

Based on her popular Fantasy Heroine YouTube Shorts series, Jill Bearup’s debut novel brings us the best of worlds both meta and medieval-inspired. Terry Pratchett aficionados will enjoy the political intrigue paired with convivial, tongue-in-cheek satire. And then there’s the slow-burn, fade-to-black romance too . . .

If you loved Stranger Than Fiction and The Princess Bride, you will soon find yourself cheering on enemies-to-BFFs Rosamund and Caroline as together they learn what it means to be the hero of your own story.

Review:
This book was everything I’d dreamed it would be and more. I preordered this the instant it was available. If you’ve watched Bearup’s tiktok series about the author and her annoying protagonist who never does what she wants, you’ll feel like this is the natural continuation of it. There was never a point where I felt annoyed to be hearing the same story again, or that I felt like it fell out of line with the video series or what the characters would actually do. The characters were all quite likeable and the plot had many more twists and turns than what I had expected given the nature of the videos. I quite enjoyed that the book went back and forth a bit between Caroline’s real life and the way she’d write/interfere with her characters; it gave us a side of Caroline and another level of the story that we didn’t see previously.

I loved Caroline’s hook from the very beginning, and I quite loved the mention of how many times an editor cuts things from novels (I wouldn’t know anything about that, now would I, Elizabeth and Theresa?). I absolutely adored the language used, which was oftentimes easy to understand even if there was clearly an attempt at making it more fantasy/medieval, such as mentioning that they need to be “mannerly”. I also absolutely love that while Caroline (and Bearup by association) might have been set on an enemies-to-lovers story, it turns out that fully fleshed and intelligent characters can have a completely different mindset of their own, and that all can think and grow and be more than what you might originally intend.

I absolutely adore this novel and certainly invite people who love fantasy and romantasy to read it. It’s a full 5 stars for me!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Amy S. Brown

How to Survive a Fairy Bargain by Laura J. Mayo

Review of Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup