Tag Archives: fantasy

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Book Review: A Fae in Finance, by Juliet Brooks

I borrowed a copy of Juliet BrooksA Fae in Finance from my local library.

a fae in finance cover

When investment banker Miri is purposely trapped in Faerie by her client, the Princeling of the Faerie realm, she does what any normal 20-something would cries, makes jokes in denial, and worries loudly about her cat, Doctor Kitten. Instead of rescuing her, her boss simply confirms she has solid internet access, leaving Miri stranded in a strange land with only a warning that the quality of her work should not decrease because of a change of address.

But Miri grew up reading fantasy, and she knows there are always ways to work around magic—she just needs to find them. In order to make her daring escape, Miri must navigate Faerie political drama, lies by omission, faerie seduction tactics, deteriorating mental health, and a mother who never hangs up the phone.

my review

I didn’t go in expecting much from a book whose title is taken from a TikTok meme (which tells you who the audience was expected to be). But the book still underwhelmed me. Yes, it’s cute, there are a few funny one-liners here and there, and one of the romantic possibilities (we don’t get a romance in this book) is honorable and lovely. On the other hand, however, I was booooored. Miri is a doormat. She’s supposedly an investment banker but feels, at best, an intern, and her reaction to being trapped in Faerie is extremely bland and unbelievable. I don’t think I’ll bother with the rest of the series when it comes out. (Honestly, I probably won’t even remember the book by then.)

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Other Reviews:

Review of A Fae in Finance by Juliet Brooks

A Fae In Finance by Juliet Brooks

 

 

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Book Review: Enchanting the Fae Queen, by Stephanie Burgis

I borrowed a copy of Stephanie BurgisEnchanting the Fae Queen from the local library. I read and reviewed the first book in the series last year.

enchanting the fae queen cover

Queen Lorelei is a notorious fae seductress, with a trail of broken hearts in her wake. But behind her glamorous lifestyle and sparkling mask lurks a dangerously intelligent woman who’d do anything to keep her people safe, including kidnap the empire’s most famous hero.

The virtuous high general Gerard de Moireul represents all that is moral and true. He has to, after his parents were executed for treason. The last thing he needs is the Queen of Balravia, who showers glitter and rainbow-colored sparkles everywhere she goes without the slightest regard for good taste, decorum, or royal dignity.

They’re opposites in every way, but when they’re swept up together in a grand–and deadly–fae tournament, they discover all of each other’s most hidden truths–and how perfectly they might be suited for each other after all.

my review

I found this an enjoyable cozy fantasy. Gerard is honorable and good in all the best ways. Lorelei is cliched, but purposefully so. She uses people’s expectations for her own ends, and it makes what might otherwise have been a grating personality bearable. Both have tragic, believable backstories that are incorporated into the plot in meaningful ways. They make a lovely couple whom I liked spending time with.

I also find some of Burgis’ dry humor really engaging and had fun with the narrative. I did think once they had decided to be together, things wrapped up a little too quickly, with too many of the “but how is that going to work” threads left open. I’m trusting Burgis to tie them off in the next book.

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Other Reviews:

Expect the Unexpected in “Enchanting the Fae Queen”

 

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Book Review: Tea & Alchemy, by Sharon Lynn Fisher

I picked up a free copy of Sharon Lynn Fisher‘s Tea & Alchemy on Amazon. I think it might have been a First Reads book, but I’m not sure about that.

Cornwall, 1854. The people of Roche have always whispered about the recluse in the black granite tower that looms above the moorland. But one young woman is driven to discover the truth behind the old tales.

Her life overshadowed by family tragedy, Mina Penrose escapes her lonely days by working at The Magpie, a cozy tearoom on the village’s edge. Lately she’s been seeing shapes in the sodden leaves that hint at the future. After one such omen, Mina stumbles upon a murdered man on the heath. Villagers immediately suspect Harker Tregarrick, a living, breathing mystery who never ventures beyond the bounds of his centuries-old estate.

Until the day after the murder, when the handsome and compelling recluse visits The Magpie…leading to a meeting that will change both their fates. Captivated by a man around whom danger and rumors of death swirl, Mina has never felt more alive. Can she uncover Harker’s heartbreaking history—and the truth about the murder—before tragedy strikes again?

I found this enjoyable in a sort of bland, inoffensive way. As in, I enjoyed the story, but there isn’t much conflict or high tension in the plot. The only friction is between the FMC, Mina, and her brother, which I appreciated. It added a level of complexity that the rest of the story lacked. But there isn’t a lot otherwise. Everyone is just so bloody nice all the time (which is something I only later realized is exactly what I said about the last Fisher book I read). But Fisher created a sweet story around a woman unwilling to shrink herself and a man unwilling/unable to stretch his circumstances. This is worth picking up for those looking for a cozy vampire story.

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Other Reviews:

TEA & ALCHEMY by Sharon Lynn Fisher – Review