Hello everyone, and welcome to Jem Interviews! Today I have Courtney Maguire, author of Bloodlaced! Bloodlaced is an LGBT eastern-inspired fantasy romance that follows Asagi, a man and a woman. Asagi is unable to protect a boy they saw as a son and is sold to Mahiro, a kind and gentle master, and they fall in love. When Asagi is poisoned, Mahiro is revealed to be a youkai, a demon that feeds on blood, and saves Asagi’s life—at a high price. Asagi now craves blood, but the boy they once tried to protect reappears under a new master. Asagi must decide what it means to be human to protect what…
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Bloodlaced – A dark, provoking read that will break your heart
🌸 Title: Bloodlaced🌸Author: Courtney Maguire🌸Published: September 29th, 2020🌸Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Fiction, Historical🌸Preview: A beautiful eastern-influenced fantasy romance that focuses on the topics of love and identity.🌸A no major spoilers review.🌸Note: I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange to review. 🌸Check out my interview with Courtney Maguire! “He’s a monster,” I said, voice cracking. “Yes,” she said. “But he tries very hard not to be.” -Courtney Maguire, Bloodlaced Bloodlaced is an LGBT eastern-inspired fantasy romance that follows Asagi, a man and a woman. Asagi is unable to protect a boy they saw as a son and is sold to Mahiro, a kind and gentle master, and they fall…
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January Wrap Up – What I read in January and my blog update!
Hello friends! While we’re a few days into February, I figure this is a good time as any to wrap up what I read in January and talk about my blog and what I have planned for the year! If you want to skip on ahead to see my January book wrap up, go for it! I won’t be offended. *sniff* 🌸Blog News🌸 First off, after a lot of hassle and dassle (is that even a word? I don’t think so) my blog was finally fixed and I’ve been on a review spree! I have vague thoughts from multiple books written down that I’ve read over the past few months…
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Two Kinds of Decay – A memoir of illness that reaches the heart
🌸 Title: The Two Kinds of Decay🌸Author: Sarah Manguso🌸Published: May 27th, 2008🌸Genre: Adult, Memoir, Nonfiction🌸Preview: Manguso tells us about the day she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease seven years ago up until now in beautiful prose.🌸A no major spoilers review. “All autoimmune diseases invoke the metaphor of suicide. The body destroys itself from the inside.” -Sarah Manguso, The Two Kinds of Decay Sarah Manguso is a twenty-one-year-old when she’s suddenly diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Paralyzed for weeks at a time, going through depression, struggling with adulthood, and much more, Manguso tells us her story of her illness. As a fellow person with chronic illnesses, I felt The Two…
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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue – A beautiful story with a cliché ending
🌸 Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue🌸Author: V.E. Schwab🌸Published: October 6th, 2020🌸Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance🌸Preview: A beautifully woven tale about a girl who wishes to not be tied down—and the price she’ll pay for it.🌸A no major spoilers review. “If a person cannot leave a mark, do they exist?” V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue I originally planned to read this book over my undying love for the movie The Age of Adeline. If I’m being completely honest, I thought it would be a complete rip-off of it. It seemed too coincidental: the name, the fact that Addie can live forever, etc. But there were major differences…
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5 books releasing in 2021 by Black authors that I’m excited to read for Black History Month
Hiya everyone! It’s February, which means it’s Black History Month. I hope this month (and really, every month—we should always care about issues in the world) that you take a minute to sit down and really educate yourself on Black Lives Matter and the issues still going on, even when the topic isn’t “trending.” Just because something isn’t trending, doesn’t mean it isn’t still going on. Find out how you can help. Here are my top 5 books by Black authors that I’m absolutely stoked to read coming out this year and I hope this encourages you to add them to your TBR list, too! There are obviously more, but…
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Kingdom of Ash – I have no words to describe my feelings
🌸 Title: Kingdom of Ash🌸Author: Sarah J. Maas🌸Published: October 23rd, 2018🌸Genre: YA, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance🌸Preview: Aelin is locked within a box and must find the courage to stay strong as her friends and allies figure out how to free her.🌸A no major spoilers review. Originally, I was going to write about all of the Throne of Glass books. Realistically, however, it’s been so long since I’ve read them that I cannot give an honest review from the heart—but that’s okay. I have an overall review here based on Kingdom of Ash that should tie up my feelings into a nice bow. Aelin Galathynius gave herself up to Maeve for her…
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The Others – An amazing paranormal series that breaks the norm
🌸 Title: The Others series (Books 1-5)🌸Author: Anne Bishop🌸Published: March 4th, 2014🌸Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Fiction🌸Preview: A girl cuts herself to see visions and decides to hide with other paranormal creatures so she isn’t bled dry.🌸A no major spoilers review. Book 1 Synopsis: Meg Corbyn is a blood prophet who can see the future when her skin is cut, making it dangerous. She escapes her Controller and finds herself at the Lakeside Courtyard, a business district that the Others, paranormal creatures, reside. Meg decides to hide among them, but is she truly safe? I decided to write an overall review of The Others series—particularly Meg and Simon’s arc. There…
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The Necklace – a predictable yet chilling read
🌸 Title: The Necklace🌸Author: Matt Witten🌸Release Date: September 21st, 2021🌸Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller🌸Preview: A woman questions whether or not the man accused of killing her daughter is truly guilty.🌸Note: I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange to review.🌸A no major spoilers review. Susan Lentigo’s a small-town waitress who fought for the man who supposedly killed her daughter has second thoughts about the killer. She’ll go to great lengths to find the true killer—and he might be closer than she thinks. The Necklace devastated me and left me breathless. It tore at my soul. I teared up more than once as we learn about Amy’s death, and even though…
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Harley Merlin – A Harry Potter knockoff that is a big disappointment
🌸 Title: Harley Merlin🌸Author: Bella Forrest🌸Published: August 27th, 2018🌸Genre: YA, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal🌸Preview: A Harry Potter lookalike with glaringly obvious Harry Potter tropes that don’t work.🌸A no major spoilers review. Harley Merlin can sense people’s emotions and works at a casino in order to make use of these powers. A monster arrives after working at the casino and she meets Wade Crowley, a warlock. Harley decides to involve herself in the world of magic when attempts on her life come to fruition and Wade’s convincing pitches work. Can she find whoever is after her? Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven attempts to market itself as a Harry Potter lookalike,…
