DNF @ 195 pages Sigh. Reads like a rough draft, and for me it hit on a lot of points that make me dislike a book. Insta-love. Sensationalizing disorders like anxiety in ways that don't feel genuine. A saintly sibling for the main character to fret over endlessly. The writing skill just didn't feel up to snuff (even for YA), especially when it came to the all-over-the-place dialogue and lack of concrete setting and timeline. Read more

A story with a lot of different elements that blend perfectly together! Art, murder mystery, romance, and magic. After Sing Me Forgotten, I have been waiting for the next book from this author and this one didn’t disappoint. The characters are relatable, especially August. I feel that this book gives a very very accurate representation of anxiety, and it was nice to see. A character who is simply an introvert, and doesn’t need feel the need to change. 👏👏 Read more

A Forgery of Roses is a gothic whodunnit filled with portrait magic, a haunted floor, grotesque paintings, disappearances, a sweet romance, and an abundance of secrets. Our heroine, Myra, is a talented artist who is willing to do anything for her sister who is seriously ill. Although I was slightly annoyed by the amount of times she talked about her sister and how poor they are. Like we get it, you don’t need to constantly remind us of your motivations. The hero tries to be the perfect son but always fails. He is unable to live up to his parents’ expectations. He has social anxiety and I appreciated the discussion around his anxiety and panic attacks. Although his inability to stand up to his parents did annoy me especially when it resulted in direct harm to the heroine. The romance is sweet but I wasn’t really invested in it. The other parts of the story were more interesting than the romance. I found the reveal to be quite clever. I had an idea who was involved but I didn’t expect it to play out the way it did. While everything is resolved at the end, the epilogue is open-ended enough for a sequel, so I’m curious if the author will go that route. While this is YA, it didn’t read that youngish. Overall, this is an enjoyable story that is part murder mystery, part fantasy, and part gothic. Read more

Narrated by Myra Whitlock, set in a fantasy world where magic is connected to painting. Forbidden by the Governor, Prodigies are forced to hide their abilities. When the Governor’s wife offers a commission, Myra reluctantly accepts. Read more

YESSS!! I thoroughly enjoyed this read! It was such a creative idea behind it and I LOVED the mystery and suspense of it all!! There’s a mystery right from the start that I was trying to piece together throughout the entire book but additional things that came up I was also trying to figure out. I DID NOT SEE THE PLOT TWIST & if you’ve been following me for a bit, you know, those are my favorite!!! Read more