Rating: 4.5/5 I’m so excited to celebrate the first day of pride month by releasing my review for Oak King Holly King!!!! Sebastian Nothwell is an author who holds a special place on my shelves. I was first introduced to his work when I stumbled across Mr. Warren’s Profession. As someone who wasn’t a fan of historical romance, this book drew me in and began my journey into queer historical literature. When Sebastian reached out asking if I’d like to receive a digital review copy of Oak King Holly King, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. It’s not every day that an author you admire reaches out to provide a review copy. (It was one of the most exciting things in the world, and I can’t thank him enough.) As I began to read Oak King Holly King, I knew it was going to rank highly in my favorite books of 2024. I haven’t read anything similar to it in recent memory. This book has a fascinating structure that drew me in. I can’t quite put my finger on how to appropriately convey it— the closest d
Rating: 4.5/5 There are times when you read a book and it genuinely touches your heart. The characters are raw with realism, the plot claws its way into your bloodstream, and, word by word, you find the story consuming your soul. Awakening is one of those books. It feels so deeply intimate that you think you’ve discovered something special, something you want to desperately share with the world but can’t help but want to selfishly keep guarded as well. Exceptional in its exploration of grief, self-acceptance, and love, this epic series starter is one you won’t want to miss. When you’re eager to sing a book’s praises, it’s hard to know where to begin, so I’ll start with what impressed me the most: character depth. When a novel’s characters leave an impression that is so real -- one where your heart beats in rhythm to their own fictional palpitations, ebbing and flowing based on a spectrum ranging from blissful happiness to oppressive despair -- magic happens. Burke crafted such vulne