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Reviews

Bride Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Bride Review

Bride is a fast paced, easy to binge paranormal romance with just the right mix of gothic atmosphere, humour and heart. The whole setting feels moody and cinematic, with enough bite to keep it interesting without ever feeling too heavy. If you’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, this is the kind of book that can pull you out of it.

Misery and Lowe are such a great pairing. Misery isn’t your usual brooding vampire, she’s witty, sharp and has a warmth about her that makes her easy to root for. Lowe, on the other hand, is calm, grounded and genuinely kind in a way that feels refreshing for a werewolf character. Their connection builds slowly but with purpose, and the banter between them had me smiling the whole way through. The slow burn was perfection, though I’ll be honest, the spice wasn’t my favourite.

The side characters really added something special. Serena, Ana and Alex all had strong personalities and I loved the friendship dynamic that surrounded Misery. It made the story feel more alive and balanced out the romance nicely.

The plot itself is engaging and emotional, full of small twists and tender moments that kept me invested from start to finish. I do wish there’d been more world building, because the Vampyre Were alliance had so much potential. I wanted to know more about their history and how their politics worked, but it sometimes sat in the background while the romance took centre stage. Still, the writing is easy to follow and Hazelwood’s humour shines through in just the right places. It’s great seeing her step away from her usual academic rom com setup and try something new.

The ending felt a little rushed but it wrapped things up well enough to leave me satisfied. I really enjoyed the emotional payoff and the way Misery and Lowe’s relationship evolved into something strong and genuine. It’s got that signature Hazelwood chemistry, just in a darker and more supernatural setting.

Overall, this is a fun, addictive romantasy that blends humour, heart and a touch of chaos. It’s fast, funny, and full of character and even though a few things didn’t completely land for me, I couldn’t put it down.

⭐️4/5 stars This one really surprised me. It’s not perfect but it’s definitely one of Ali Hazelwood’s stronger books.

Reviews

Walking Practice Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Walking Practice Review

This book was honestly one of the weirdest things I’ve ever read, and I mean that in the best possible way. It follows a shapeshifting alien stuck on Earth who changes between male and female forms to have sex with humans before, well… eating them. It’s bizarre, unsettling and kind of brilliant. Beneath all the chaos, it’s really a deep look at what it means to be human or what it means to never quite fit into the world’s expectations.

Through the alien’s voice, Min dives into big ideas about gender, queerness, loneliness and disability. The creature keeps changing shape, breaking every rule of identity, yet it still craves connection and love. There’s this strange tenderness underneath all the violence and hunger that makes it hit harder than you’d expect. It’s messy and emotional and painfully relatable at times.

The writing plays around with structure too, stretching out words and spacing to make you feel off balance, like you’re inside the alien’s head. It’s graphic, sexual and often confronting, but it’s also beautifully human in its own odd way.

Walking Practice won’t be for everyone, but if you like stories that are strange, gutsy and full of feeling, this one’s worth the ride.

⭐️4/5 stars, weird in the best way.

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First Line Fridays

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on First Line Fridays

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

“Cambridge, Michaelmas Term, October. The wind bit, the sun hid, and on the first day of class, when she out to have been lecturing undergraduates about the dangers of using the Cartesian severance spell to revise without pee breaks, Alice Law set out to rescue her advisor’s soul from the Eight Courts of Hell.”

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📚Book Haul 📚

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on 📚Book Haul 📚

I’ve had a lot of wins in my professional life over the last couple of months so I figured why not indulge and treat myself to some new books!!! Some I’ve already read and wanted a copy for my collection and others are at the top of my TBR, so a very exciting haul all around 🙂