Happy May!
‘May, more than any other month of the year, wants us to feel most alive.’ ~ Fennel Hudson
‘You are as welcome as the flowers in May.’ ~ Charles Macklin
Hello May!
TTT – Freebie (bookish art!)
Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Topic: Freebie!
As books feature in most of the TTT posts I wanted to do something connected with books. I’ve done bookish candles before so today I thought I’d do BOOKISH ART!
Tric and Mia from Nevernight
Poppy and Hawke from FBAA
Cardan and Jude from Cruel Prince
Kal from Aurora Rising
Gabe from Empire of the Vampire
Shiori and Takkan from Six Crimson Cranes
Crescent City characters
Serpent and Dove characters
Nik from Illuminae Files
Spensa and Jorgen from Skyward
Do you collect bookish art?
Book Review: A Sea Change by Cassandra Clare
Title: A Sea Change
Series: Shadowhunters
Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: 28 April 2026
BLURB
Most travellers are running from—or searching for—something. But not Shadowhunter Matthew Fairchild and his loyal golden retriever, Oscar Wilde. No. Matthew is searching for himself aboard the Majestic, a grand 19th century ocean liner sailing from Greece to Constantinople.
Matthew wants nothing more than to mourn the death of a friend and peacefully enjoy his travels before reuniting with his friends James Herondale and Cordelia Carstairs at the London Institute of Shadowhunters—a secret society of angel-blooded humans who protect the mundane world from demons and Downworlders. But that’s interrupted when someone is murdered on the ship—and a vampire Downworlder lurks in the darkness.
Together with Sylvain Verlac, a mysterious and captivating Parisian Shadowhunter with a secret grief of his own, Matthew must find the murderer on the Majestic before death strikes again.
Oh Matthew, how I love thee, you poor tortured soul.
He’s been travelling with the lovely Oscar, he’s on his way home, and yet he still feels lost…
‘When I set out at first, it was to find something. And I just can’t say I’m sure I’ve discovered it yet.’
Then there’s a murder. And then there’s Sylvain (what I wouldn’t give to hear him say ‘Mathieu’!), so what’s a Shadowhunter to do but investigate?
It’s been a while since I last read a Shadowhunter book. I’ve reread most of them at least twice, and The Infernal Devices at least five times (Will H forever!). But reading this felt like stepping back into that world—falling in love with it all over again. Steles, the Merry Thieves, parabatai, runes, the Clave, Mundanes, Downworlders… I realized how much this world and these characters mean to me. They don’t just feel familiar. They feel like home.
‘I am always with you.’
⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5
Sound like something you’d like?
The Sunday Post! Crazy times here!
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.
Hope you’ve had a good week!
Please. All stand back in amazement. It actually happened! I FINISHED A BOOK!!!! I know! Crazy times!
This week I worked and I also finished off my binge watch of seasons 1 to 7 of The Kardashians!
🎧 Your Blade, My Back by KM Moronova
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Review – My Blade, Your Back by KM Moronova
Book Review – A Sea Change by Cassandra Clare
Calendar – Hello May
What have you read lately?
Book Review: My Blade, Your Back by KM Moronova
Title: My Blade, Your Back
Series: Dark Forces #2
Author: KM Moronova
Genre: Dark Military Romance
Year of publication: 2025
BOOKS IN THE SERIES
Your Knife, My Heart review
BLURB
Broken. Lost. Unforgiven.
One month after surviving the Under Trials, Emery Maves finds herself in a world she doesn’t recognize―with a man whose cold eyes are haunted by secrets she can’t remember. Stripped of her memories, Emery is tormented by dreams of danger, death, and deceit. The only constant is the lure of the experimental drug that shatters her mind but leaves her almost invincible―and the dangerous pull of the man called Mori.
Cameron Mortem is fighting a battle he thought he’d already lost. He knows letting Emery in could destroy them both, but her amnesia is a curse neither of them can outrun. Forced together on a high-stakes level black mission that goes disastrously wrong, they find themselves thrust deeply into the underworld of the black market with an unexpected foe.
But as old scars are torn open and hidden plots unravel, Emery discovers she’s more tangled in this world than she ever imagined. And Cameron will have to face the one person he fears most: himself.
Loyalties will be tested. Secrets will be weaponized. Their bond―once forged in blood―may be the only thing that can save them. If they don’t lose themselves first.
Back with Emery and Cam right where the last book left off, Emery is struggling with memory loss after the violent events at the end of book one.
The big questions loom: will Emery get her memory back? Will Cam try and win her back? And can they survive the mission with Fury Squad intact?
This was such a good ending to the story. It delivers the same mix of action and passion from book one—and, of course, Cam completely stole my heart all over again. I love him.
The plot moves at a fast pace, weaving in tropes like amnesia, touch her and die, and found family. I don’t usually enjoy the amnesia trope, but it really worked here.
If you’re into emotional, messy relationships wrapped in a dark military romance—with plenty of grit and gore—this one is definitely for you.
Absolutely fabulous.
⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5
Sound like something you’d like?
TTT – April Showers!
Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Topic: April Showers – Blue Book Covers!
Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen
King of Ravens by Clare Sager
Your Knife, My Heart by KM Moronova
The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer
Voidwalker by SA MacLean
Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson
Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
Elusive by Genevieve Cogman
Funny Story by Emily Henry
What blue books do you have?
The Sunday Post! It never ends!
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.
Hope you’ve had a good week!
This week I was back to work (from home) but my son still had the week off from school. The non-rushed mornings just feel so refreshing but, as we are back to normal this coming week, I know my blood pressure will be up!!!!
No books finished this week, in fact, not even a word was read (again!!!) so for this post I’m going to show the books I am currently trying to start (the struggle is real!)
The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by Reena McCarty
Feature – May Book Releases
Mini Review – Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher
Book Review – A Sea Change by Cassandra Clare
What have you read lately?
Mini Review: Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher
Title: Wolf Worm
Author: T Kingfisher
Genre: Gothic Horror
Year of publication: 2026
BLURB
The year is 1899 and Sonia Wilson is a scientific illustrator without work, prospects, or hope. When the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use. But soon enough she finds that there are darker things at work than the Carolina woods. What happened to her predecessor, Halder’s wife? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?”
With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder’s entomological studies have taken him down a dark road full of parasitic maggots that burrow into human flesh, and that his monstrous experiments may grow to encompass his newest illustrator as well.
As someone who really doesn’t like bugs or creepy crawlies, I’m not entirely sure why I picked this up — maybe I wanted to challenge myself!
It’s a great story and very well written… but my goodness, it was horrible in the best possible way!!! The bugs were genuinely the stuff of my worst nightmares!!!
It was deeply creepy, with some disturbing scenes, and I’m very glad I read it well before bedtime so I didn’t end up dreaming about insects all night!
⭐ Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Sound like something you’d like?
May 2026 Book Releases You Can’t Miss!!!
Here are some new books releasing in May 2026 that I’m most excited for…
I think 3 books is actually quite good….but I preordered them a loooong time ago so is it good?!!!
Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen
Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter
Broken Dove by Dani Francis
Will you be getting any of these?
CJRTB Books 