Title: The Hedge Witch

Series: Threadneedle Novella

Author: Cari Thomas

Rowan is visiting her aunt – Winne the hedge witch – in the Welsh countryside, to get back to nature and hone her skills, as well as taking a break from her annoying sisters and enjoying some peace and quiet. However, Rowan soon comes to realise that hedges are a serious business and this isn’t quite the opportunity to rest and escape she thought it might be.

Not only that, but mysterious events around the town are causing panic in the secret magical community and cowans – non-magical folk – are starting to take notice.

Can Rowan hone her hedge craft, try to make some friends and solve the riddle of the mysterious goings-on, or is magic about to be revealed to the world … or at least Wales?

I absolutely loved Threadneedle and Rowan was one of the highlights for me so I had to grab this extra!

So Rowan has been packed off to a tiny cottage in Wales in the middle of no where for the summer to learn from her Aunt Winifred, a Hedge Witch.

Set in the beautiful countryside of Wales, this is the tale of a teenager who wants some fun, she wants to be liked, she wants to know where she belongs and she wants her first kiss!

I really loved this novella and have to give a special mention to the magic system, Winnie and especially Llew and his mushrooms!

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: Halloween Freebie!

I puzzled over what to do for this topic as I am already posting some spooky/themed books separately so, in the end, I decided to go for a This or That to make it fun! I know it’s not books but you can pretend you’re building characters for your own book!

Let me know in the comments what your choices would be!

👻 Skeleton or Ghost?
🧙‍♀️Decorating house or not?
🧛‍♂️ Vampire or Witch?
🦇Bat or black cat?
🔮 Scary movie or go trick or treating?

My choices would be: ghost, decorating, witch, cat and trick or treating!

Let me know in comments what you would choose!

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.

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week?

I had my covid booster and flu jab yesterday and my body just doesn’t like it – I’ve felt so bad all day!

This week I really over reserved on my library audio holds. I reserve them with plenty of time to listen and then the dates keep moving up….so I had to squeeze 3 audiobooks in this week because I can’t quit…..I do listen on double speed so that helps and I do love a challenge!

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What I’ve Read

🎧 Amari and the Great Game by BB Alston
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here

🎧 Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here

🎧 Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here

Strike the Zither by Joan He
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here

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New arrivals

Nothing this week – woohoo!

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You might have missed…..

Review – Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
Unboxing – Fairyloot adult: September
Spooky review – Threadneedle

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What have you read lately?

Title: Legends and Lattes

Author: Travis Baldree

High Fantasy with a double-shot of self-reinvention

Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.

However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.

A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.

‘A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.’

This was so true, it was a wonderful story!

Viv, a warrior ogre leaves her erm….present employment and goes to Thune where she wants to build her own coffee shop. And this is in a time when hardly no one has heard of coffee!!! She finds a dilapidated building, a few friends and builds her business. But it’s not without troubles and drama!

Viv loves coffee, she is my spirit animal! And the baked goods! Don’t read this whilst your hungry or you’ll eat everything you have in the house! The descriptions made my mouth water!

It had such a cozy, homey, old world feel to this book, the village had a lamplighter! Sort of gave me under the Whispering Door vibes but different if that makes any sense! As the characters all discovered different coffee’s and cakes that are new to them but known to us, it made me so happy!

So nothing to do with the story and not a complaint but I got an earc and all the words with ‘fi’ or ‘fl’  together had been wiped from the book, so fish became sh, fist became st etc! Honestly it was like a game!!! But my fave was obviously meant to say floral perfume but was printed as oral perfume!!! Erm, smells good?!!!!!

Anyway, read this, you won’t regret it!!!

Title: Threadneedle

Series: Language of Magic #1

Author: Cari Thomas

Within the boroughs of London, nestled among its streets, hides another city, filled with magic.

Magic is the first sin. It must be bound.

Ever since Anna can remember, her aunt has warned her of the dangers of magic. She has taught her to fear how it twists and knots and turns into something dark and deadly.

It was, after all, magic that killed her parents and left her in her aunt’s care. It’s why she has been protected from the magical world and, in one year’s time, what little magic she has will be bound. She will join her aunt alongside the other Binders who believe magic is a sin not to be used, but denied. Only one more year and she will be free of the curse of magic, her aunt’s teachings and the disappointment of the little she is capable of.

Nothing – and no one – could change her mind before then. Could it?

Anna, who lives with her Aunt after the death of her parents, is basically a downtrodden mouse who is losing herself bit by bit in her Aunts quest to make her a Binder, to suppress the little magic she has.

Anna’s life starts to change after a visit from her mums old friend, Selene, her daughter Effie and her charge, Attis. I won’t say anymore as you won’t experience the story of this book!

Once I got into this I really loved the story, the magic system and all the characters, they were so well written. Rowan was my absolute favourite, she was the light in this story for me.

It was also so compelling. This is a big book and every time I took a break, it was pulling me back! I think it was the magic at work!!!

The beginning was a bit slow I must admit but once I got into it  I was captivated!

The ending was such a twist, I never saw it coming! Can’t wait to see what happens next!!!

Fairyloot Adult – September 2022

Small Town Secrets

An atmospheric fantasy featuring a murder mystery that takes place in a small town with a tight knit community.

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

Exclusive cover
Digital sprayed edges on all 3 edges
Foil on the hardcover @ekbelsher
Artwork on the endpapers @ekbelsher
Signed bookplate

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: Favourite Words

I love a funny word (not sure if they are funny to everyone though!) and I guess I’m going for mainly old English with these words but I love them!

Unto – archaic term for ‘to’ (archaic 🤣)

Kerfuffle – a commotion or fuss, especially one caused by conflicting views.

Malarkey – meaningless talk; nonsense.

Bibliolater – a person who is passionately enthusiastic about books.

Sumptuous – splendid and expensive-looking.

Fabulous (a word I totally overuse!) – extraordinary.

Yonks – a very long time (it’s been ages).

Mucky (how I like my books!) – mildly pornographic.🤣🤣🤣

Mucker (not to be confused with mucky at all) – term for a friend.

I do have a favourite English swear word too but didn’t want to put it here but that’s my number 10!!

What are your favourite words?

Title: Hook, Line and Sinker

Series: Bellinger Sisters #2

Author: Tessa Bailey

King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he’s a guaranteed good time–in bed and out–and that’s exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She’s immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his… personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is.

Now, Hannah’s in town for work, crashing in Fox’s spare bedroom. She knows he’s a notorious ladies’ man, but they’re definitely just friends. In fact, she’s nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport’s resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker’s eye… yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can’t deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost.

Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she’s walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and… and… man overboard! He’s fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he’s all in, she’ll choose him instead?

Oh I couldn’t wait for this after the utter delight of Piper and Brendan!

Fox and Hannah!
Friends.
Right?!!!

I’ll take a quote from this book to explain how it basically went….’Do friends share lube?’ Heehee!

Omg the tension. The ‘omg realise it’ made me want to scream!

Fox’s internal struggle made my heart clench and Hannah’s level head made my day and that epilogue made me want to cry with happiness!

I don’t really have the words to express how much I loved this so I’ll just say that if you loved It Happened One Summer then you need to 100% read this because it is not to be missed!

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.

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week?

A teen, I have a teen! My son was 13 this week and I lamented where all the years have gone! Of course there was cake and a meal out which was great!

It’s also officially Autumn as I got my jumpers and boots out 🤣🤣🤣

We’ve had quite a busy week of medical appointments again (wish they could be spaced out more!) but I managed to finish an arc and also completed The Cruel Prince readalong!

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What I’ve Read

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here

Cursed by Marissa Meyer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here

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New arrivals

The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni
(Fairyloot edition)

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You might have missed…..

Review – Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Unboxing – Illumicrate: Sept 2022
Unboxing – Fairyloot YA: Sept 2022
Review – Book of Legends by Lenny Henry
Review – Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

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What have you read lately?