btwnprintedpgs's reviews
1269 reviews

Much more sex than I had expected, but this was a fantastic reimagining of the Cut Sleeve story (featuring classic characters like Huang Jiulang and Dong Xian, as well as a third present voice) that takes you across centuries.

Told from three perspectives, we see the characters journey through three reincarnations with you guessing a bit on who's who and why. With masterful storytelling, the narrative is addictive and heady, fitting the toxicity and greediness of the romances well.

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that this story was fast-paced, full of both budding romance and toxic love, a little mysterious, and a bit magical. Some character arcs surprised and dazzled me, while others felt like a betrayal (in the best kinds of ways). This book didn't feel like a debut, especially because of the writing. The Emperor and the Endless Palace is so well-crafted, and the stories so intricately tied to each other, that you won't want to look away!

TW: sexual content, death, injury detail, alcohol consumption, infidelity, sexual assault, drug use, drug abuse, homophobia, animal death (not dog), ableism; mentions rape, death of a parent, cancer, vomit

Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

eBook gifted via Edelweiss by MIRA via HarperCollins Canada in exchange for an honest review. 

My biggest hope for this book is that it finds it audience, because it was such a gem, and a lot of current reviews don't reflect that.

This book is for the people pleasers, the ones who stay small so they don't bother anyone, the ones who feel like a burdens, as well as those who take on too much and work too hard to strive for something that doesn't make them happy.

Zoey is a cancer research student and is chaotic from the start. From her gaggle of mugs to her running off into the distance leaving an important research slide with a stranger, she's kind of everywhere. Though the book is told in third person, I still felt like I was stepping into the character's heads. Zoey's brain is a mix of indecision and emotion. She labels things with a TM in her head, and she hates her program but is afraid to throw out all her progress despite her feeling burnout and tired. I loved how the slide is a catalyst for her jumpstarting the story and her journey outside of her comfort zone (I have more thoughts on the slide, but I don't want to spoil anything! DM me if you're curious!). 

In contrast, Davy felt quieter and steadier, despite his anxiety. He really knew how to pause and take a moment for himself, and he was like a sunflower to Zoey's chaotic sunshine. I loved that his anxiety and troubles were taken seriously by his found family, even if his own family was less than stellar. I also loved how he took his energy and put it into trying to create an animal sanctuary. I was so afraid the sanctuary was going to be gimmicky, but it felt legit and I appreciated that they didn't trivialized interactions with Baby (Davy's aging cougar that he received from a zoo).

The romance is sexy, but it also felt intellectually supported. Though I didn't love the week-long timeline, I did love how they helped to break down one another's problems and walk them through potential paths to get better and figure out their lives. It never felt like they were being forced together, nor did it ever feel immature. Some of the discussions they have about mental health, changing careers, and making different life choices felt so real, especially for me, as someone around their age dealing with the ups and downs of life. I wish the "I love yous" came later, because five days is wild to my demi brain, and much of this initial feelings are lust-based, but the growth and support really came through and saved the relationship for me.

One other complaint is that the final book had some typos and one page is type-set wrong (so very much an editing issue, not an author issue), but outside of that, I really enjoyed Wild Life. It definitely surprised me in the best ways.

Rep: Chinese-Canadian MC with burnout, Taiwanese-Canadian MC with anxiety

TW: cancer, injury detail, panic attack; mentions drug use, drug abuse, medical content, addiction

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Finished copy gifted by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review. 

I really really loved this. For a lot of reasons, but I'm going to walk you through a few of them.

First and foremost, I love how Sage and Noah's competitive history is established immediately. You get their history in a way that's natural and interesting, but it also lends itself so well to building both characters. Noah is someone who's always been told that her interests are not valid, her job isn't valid, and she's not enough to be the best, so she's very determined to prove herself, no matter the costs. Sage, on the other hand, is a loner and a fixer - she swoops in to help her family with their finances, but she also pushes people away constantly so she can never be hurt. At the start, they're both so into the art to cope with everything else, they don't see anything else around them.

Their characters develop so well, and as they become lovers you really get to see how they respect, support, and challenge each other. How this impacts their peripheral lives (friends, family, etc.) was also very telling for their growth and development and I feel like every secondary and tertiary character had their purpose. Nothing felt extraneous, and I loved that.

The subject of web comics and comic publishing was so much fun too. I don't know too much about that side of publishing, but I loved learning about their art and interests and getting to know their coworkers. It definitely helped flesh out the main stage (their workplace) and the looming deadlines added stakes and intensity to every moment spent there.

As a bonus, a sapphic sex scene on page?? So rarely do I find books that have that and in such a way the fits the characters so well in their teasing, competitive, yet also soft manner?? Perfection.

I love how every moment in this book matters - not that it's heavy, but that it adds value to the characters and their stories. This book really came to life for me and loved every moment!

Rep: Black bisexual MC, Black lesbian MC with chronic pain (carpal tunnel)

TW: sexual content, chronic illness, burnout, mental illness, suicidal thoughts, abandonment; mentions lesbophobia, biphobia, car accident 

What is queued up as a Knives-Out-esque mystery thriller ended up being more of an Eat Pray Love sort of situation.

Freya has been out of the Antique Hunting business for over twenty years after the betrayal of her mentor. However, when that mentor dies, she gets back on the hunt at a turning point in her life. Now forty-something, with her daughter off at school and ex-husband selling their house, she turns her mind to the mystery in front of her - who killed her mentor and why is he posthumously sending her and her aunt to an antique retreat in the country?

The premise enticed me, but the execution was messy. With disjointed sentences and a repetitive inner narrative, I dragged myself through the first half of this book. The turning point wasn't even something I really cared about by the time I got to it because one of the more impactful things hadn't even been mentioned until that moment. There was an air of mystery around it, but the moment didn't hit me in the way I think it was intended to.

The different perspectives really didn't lend much to the progression of the story, and as a result the plot felt stilted, even as the pace picked up in the second half. I'm very curious about the intentions behind adding the other characters' POVs because the value just wasn't there for me.

One thing I do appreciate is the fact that this book really was saying that life doesn't end after XYZ happens. Freya's daughter leaving for college, Freya losing her house; she was so morose over these events at the start of the story, but we see her tackle the mystery with renewed vigor as the story progressed. I don't think enough stories do this, so it was nice to see her getting on with her own life and rediscovering herself. That being said, I did find her own feelings about the events of her life overshadowed any of the mystery's fun and excitement. She was like a wet blanket over her own story, which is what gave it that soul-searching quality that was not quite what I'd signed up for.

At the end of the day, I can't say I was super invested in the mystery or in Freya's life. The writing being messy, repetivie, and disjointed didn't help my reading experience either. My hope is that the final version that sees the light of day is more polished and snappy, but we shall see I guess.

TW: death, murder, gun violence, blood, injury detail, alcohol; mentions fire, fire injury, death of parents; domestic abuse

Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
World Building: 3/5
Writing: 2/5
Pacing: 1/5
Overall: 2/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review. 

This series will always have a special place in my heart. It's chaos, and debauchery, but I love it all the same. Violet was a wonderful addition to the cast and I adored this installment. Are there flaws? Yes. Am I ignoring them? 100%.

Ronan still has my whole heart, idec.

TW: alcohol, sexual content, death of a parent; mentions adult/minor relationship, pregnancy, death 

I went into this book thinking it'd be a full on romance, and, while we did get that, I found that the larger, resounding part of the story was found in Sadie's growth.

Sadie is a people pleaser and a fixer. She never knows when to stop as she puts her needs on a shelf in favour of helping others. Sacrificing sleep, pride, and sanity, Sadie is well on the edge of cracking under the pressure of trying to be everything for everyone else. I loved her growth through the book as she realizes the weight she puts on herself and that she doesn't need to please other people to live a good life. I loved her so much and I wanted to give her the biggest hug.

In contrast, everything seems to come easy for Sadie's academic rival, Julius Gong. He's well liked, smart, and unrelenting. That being said, if Julius was a quote, he'd be that one from Jane Austen's Emma, "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more." Julius is definitely more of an actions-speak-louder-than-words kind of guy. While I grew to love him in some of his softer moments, I feel like I needed to get inside his brain. His and Sadie's banter (read: fights) allows readers to better understand his character and who he is, but I wish there'd been a longer heart-to-heart conversation somewhere along the line where we really get to crack him open. His actions did speak loud though, even coming through in off-hand mentions and actions construed as "evil."

Ann Liang's writing really propelled me through this book. Her ability to weave humour into conflict to ease tension; to makes scenes realistic, yet valuable to the story and still fun; and to write characters you easily fall in love, is absolutely unmatched. I'm so excited for all of her other releases this year and I hope one of her book tours brings her to Canada (I could only dream).

As a whole, I loved the message of this book and I love Ann Liang, so it's a winner for me. The only thing I wish I had more of was Julius's voice, but maybe we'll get that in the future!

TW: bullying, alcohol consumption

Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

ARC gifted by Scholastic Canada in exchange for an honest review. 

Huge was a huge (ha!) surprise. Brent Butt is a Canadian screen writer, actor, and creator of Corner Gas - a campy comedy series about living in the middle of nowhere with nothing much to do. The fact that his debut novel was a mystery/thriller was totally out of left field. That it focused on 90s comedy was less of a surprise, but instead a pleasant view into that era of comedy and the three main characters an interesting snapshot of the times.

Dale is a washed up comic from the US in desperate need of a few thousand to fund his daughter's college tuition; Rynn is an up-and-coming comic from Ireland who's on the road up; and Hobie is new to the scene and ready to impress. I found their different perspectives helped build out the world and the times, particularly Dale's experience and jadedness and Rynn's optimism. Hobie, I feel, was more of a mystery at the start, with most of his character being built by Dale and Rynn's POV. That being said, once we're in his head, we're in it and the moving train never stops.

The book does a great job of building a sense of dread. There's an element of mystery to the murder we see at the start, but the perpetrator is fairly obvious. However, where the story goes and how deep into the psychology we get into it gave me the jeebies. If you like the discomfort of stepping into a broken mind, this is definitely the book for you, as it envelops you in the psyche of a killer. Butt did a fantastic job with this aspect of the story, and I'm still trying to shake it off.

Though it plays into some stereotypes and is a bit hokey at times, this was a strong debut by Brent Butt into the literary world!

TW: death, fire injury, torture, injury detail, domestic abuse, violence, parental abandonment, kidnapping, murder, car crash, child abuse; mentions death of an animal

ARC gifted by @penguinrandomca in exchange for an honest review. 

The classic story of the MMC learning empathy, and the FMC being told by everyone, including the MMC, that she's too much and too weird.

I really liked Francine - despite her inability to stay out of people's business, she always meant well with her efforts to help others. She definitely felt neuro-divergent coded, especially when it came to social cues and context, but she was always well-intentioned and generally kind.

Ollie, however, was not. For the first 30% of the book, from his POV, he's always saying how weird she is, how he wants to avoid her at all cost. Even as he starts to fall for her, he laments on his general instinct to run when she starts in his direction. It's just not giving green flag boyfriend. One could say that it's his own familial problems that lend themself to this attitude, but no - it's 100% him. His familial problems gave him a toxic view of what it means to be a man, but it didn't tell him to be mean to the girl who tries to be nice to him. I was 0% on board with their relationship and the speed at which it progressed.

I liked the overall story - how it talked about breaking down some of the long held, sexist beliefs of this family (and the majority like them), as well as sharing Vietnamese food culture and history. I understand why Ollie and Francine's POVs were both shown - Ollie with more of the "we don't talk" and "men can't show emotions" kind of family, while Francine had a more, "our door is always open to the community" and "family helps family" kind of family. I think both were important to show, I just don't know if this was the story to show it.

One thing I loved a lot was how involved Jiya and Rollo were in their friendships with Francine and Ollie respectively. I liked that they had their own little thing going on the side too, especially with Jiya's art.

All in all, there was a lot I liked, but a lot I didn't (mainly Ollie's lack of story arc, and the fact that a few key conversations seemed to be missing). I'm not sure who the target audience would be for this, as I feel the message isn't really as strong as it could've been for either side. That being said, this could be a great read for someone who carries too much on their shoulders, as they may identify well with Francine.

TW: sexism, bullying, cancer, pig dissection for biology class; mentions death of a parent

Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 3/5
Writing: 4/5
Pacing: 3/5
Overall: 3/5

eARC gifted via Edelweiss by Katherine Tegen Books via HarperCollins Canada in exchange for an honest review.