"Everything you think you know about love is wrong ... It always falls apart, like everything, like the whole damn universe will if you leave it spinning for long enough."

GENRE: Fantasy
RATING: 4/5
FORMAT: eBook + Physical Arc

Overall Impression: The Apple and the Pearl is a magical tale that focuses on all the characters in a ballet spanning their lives over one day and this is more of a mixture of magical realism x poetical fantasy that I thought was done in a lovely manner

Review:
The Apple and the Pearl is a tale that takes you through multiple character's point of views. It weaves their stories together and brings the magical element on the All Souls Day that we get to see through all their eyes.

I quite enjoyed this and I think Rym Kechacha did a beautiful work of intertwining all the character's lives together in a way that shows the impact of the magic, the darkness and really, life and all the struggles we deal with. While you do see the point of view from so many different characters, the story comes together in a way that lets them stand out uniquely but ties them together in that they are obliged to complete their pledges in the magical train and complete the show.

I think this one is perfect for a few different people, like those who enjoy Ballet, magical realism and beautiful lyrical prose. I enjoyed it for so many reasons, including the fact that it ponders and questions why we are the way we are and the sacrifices we are willing to make in order to get what we want. Not only that, it questions why we create art and why we continue to dedicate time, energy and effort especially when the audience in The Apple and the Pearl are not your typical ones, those that truly appreciate the beauty of your show.

I did want a little more though as there were sections that combined multiple characters and joined it from a POV of multiple casts. I felt we could have added a bit more connection and bringing them together to deliver the themes and message home. All in all, this is a beautiful, lyrical and atmospheric book that shows why we continue to make art and how that differs between each individual in here.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy!

"By the time the city pulls away, houses replaced by stretches of bright grass, well-manicured trees, a widening road, I've stopped trying to place myself in Niawa the story. I don't belong here anymore."

GENRE: Fantasy
RATING: 4.5/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Overall Impression: At the heart of it, A Day of Breath is Fantasy story that explores what it is like to have faith in a system vs to never believe in it and question it through an adventure of our MCs. This debut is done in a good way, combining conspiracies and relying on a system while navigating through your own personal life

Review:
A Day of Breath is a fast-paced story, that starts a bit before Day of Breath and ultimately focuses on a span of one day and how the lives of our MC changes over time. Oly, our Champion, is crowned and sent to live on the Edge so that she can protect the kingdom from the demons that come through a rift between the realms. She also experiences Anxiety and we go through it with her, see her thoughts and how she faces life as the longest standing Champion as well.

We also have Heir Fallon, one of the heirs, who we meet early on and is entirely satisfied with the system in place. He sees Oly become a Champion and then we start his adventure with the fact that he wasn't the chosen next ruler for the throne. Heir Fallon is a complicated character, one that you can see is entirely relying on the system. He fails to question why things are the way they are and is satisfied with his life as it is. Throughout the story, we see character development and see him change as he learns so many new things.

We do get to meet other MCs as well but ultimately A Day of Breath is a story about what happens when we question the system vs when we never question it and accept what we are told as facts. It is a test to see if humanity in the book can survive having their world shaken and they are left with nothing that they used to believe in. It questions whether those who rule are willing to put the community and their people first and foremost, no matter what. And finally, it questions is it worth saving what we have built and fix it or should we start from scratch?

A Day of Breath is going on my Fantasy Books list that I keep and call "Burn it all down" because ultimately it is about questioning the system you put your faith in and never fearing to do so. I really enjoyed the pacing of the book and the exploration of the characters, their own personal lives and how they fit into the bigger picture and the system itself.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy!

"It was strange, she thought, that a person could look so lost in their own home."

GENRE: YA Fantasy with Egyptian Mythology by a SWANA Author
RATING: 4.5/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Overall Impression: Ungodly Chaos truly lives up to the name, from chaotic adventures to being chaotic teenagers living in a chaotic world and I really enjoyed every moment of it!

Review:
Ungodly Chaos is a YA Fantasy that is set in our world and the underworld, or Duat, is a perfect balance of adventure and understanding who the MCs are as a YA book. I think the adventure was a fun, fast paced story that kept me hooked till the end of it and I wanted to see what would happen next.

We get to meet Amira and the story is mainly told from her POV but we also get a few chapters from other MCs like Kaiden, Zain and Layla (which I always enjoy as we get to see a different POV from the characters). I loved getting to know more about the different descendants described in the story, though I do wish we got more details on this.

I also really enjoyed the exploration of identity and where we fit in. As teenagers (whether you're early, mid or late teenager), fitting is and finding your place in the world is HARD. We get to see this perspective through Kaiden and Amira, who are both struggling to fit in differently. Kaiden, who has parents from different background (won't share more so as to not spoil anything), struggles with this and it comes across through the story really well. Amira, who has never really fit in anywhere, finds her own place as they go through their adventure together.

I think as a story, this dives into adventure and action while still keeping it realistic for the ages of the MCs, with their focus spread across so many things mentally. We get adventure and some Egyptian Mythology unique to the story. I can't wait to read more from the author, Selma Soren, in the future!

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy!

Good morning, Bien Leidos!

I wanted to announce the winner of our April book club poll as well as let you know some changes to upcoming book club selections--it'll just be a change in reading order versus changing books, though so keep reading!

So the winner of our April fantasy pick was Asiri and the Amaru by Natalia Hernandez! As I was putting together the post, I saw Isabel Allende's Instagram post that La Casa De Los Espiritu Spanish language television adaptation would be releasing on April 29th on Prime. For our Bien Leidos 2 year anniversary, I'd been planning to select a classic of Latine literature to read in May. In fact, I was going to be putting up a poll today, but this announcement made the answer clear to me (as did a 4 hour poll I put up on Discord--YOU REALLY NEED TO JOIN IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY), so what I did was switch up the order of our book club reads for April and May. I'll be posting the announcements in a bit on social media, but I wanted to deliver the announcements exclusively to you first.

I also wanted to remind you that we're still reading Sparks Fly this month so it's not too late to join! I'll be putting up a poll today to schedule our spoilery chat early in March.

Also, our March pick is Now I Surrender by Alvaro Enrigue. It releases March 3rd, so we'll get started with our chat a little bit later in the month since this is a new release. And in case you haven't entered, I have a MASSIVE 15 BOOK GIVEAWAY FOR NOW I SURRENDER up that ends tomorrow!

I am very much looking forward to reading all these books with you! Thank you for being a part of this amazing community!

xoxo,

Carmen

"A Cat is the Soul of a House."

GENRE: Cozy Fantasy
RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Overall Impression: I'd give this more than 5 stars if I could, Heather Fawcett never fails to disappoint me and Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter was no exception to this!

Review:
WHAT A BOOK! This is a beautiful Cozy Fantasy that talks about finding joy and love in having a cat shelter (as you would expect from the title) and dives into grief, relationships and building a cat shelter in the middle of mayhem!

I loved everything about the story truly. I loved how we get to meet Agnes and see her interact with all the cats, how she treats them and how she has her own cats as well in addition to the strays she puts up for adoption. I love how we also get to see the personality of each of the cat that we meet throughout the story. I also love seeing the sisterhood between Agnes and Eloise and how their dynamic is a fun way to shed light at how supportive they are to each other.

I also love how ultimately, this is a story of giving people a chance and hoping they show you the best side of them. Agnes gets told that she always sees the best in people and this is discussed throughout the story, how she believes that and only sees the good in people. This how we get to see the situation between Agnes and Havelock evolve and read about their adventure. Agnes believes that the good in people eventually wins out and we see this in the way she interacts with people in the story.

And another aspect I loved is the grief that is mentioned throughout the story because Agnes lost her husband, Robin. I think this played a lovely part in the story, and it shows how our love for someone stays, no matter where we are or how we have to move on for grief is often thought to be love that has no place/person to go to anymore.

Also not Agnes saying she cries as easily as she blushes because same honestly LOL. All in all, this was a fun read AHH, Emily Wilde is one of my favourite series (I've read book 1 and 2) and I knew that the writing and whimsy of Heather Fawcett was going to carry over in here (and it did). I can't wait for more Cozy, Whimsical reads from the author.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy!

If you love enemies-to-lovers with sharp banter, emotional damage, and a man who is allergic to his own feelings, welcome to your next book club obsession. 🔥📚

Lucian Rollins is cold, controlled, and convinced love is a liability, while Sloane Walton is all fire, truth, and backbone. Their history is messy, their chemistry is explosive, and every scene between them crackles with tension whether they’re arguing, unraveling secrets, or fighting feelings they absolutely do not want.

What really made this book shine for our book club was the emotional depth. Beneath the billionaire swagger and steamy sparks, this is a story about trauma, trust, and choosing vulnerability when it feels safer to walk away. Watching Lucian confront his fear of becoming the man he hates while Sloane refuses to settle for half-love? Chef’s kiss. 💔➡️❤️

This one gave us feelings, heated discussions, and more than a few “but WHY would he do that?!” moments and honestly, that’s exactly what we want from a Lucy Score read!

❓️Are you team protect her by leaving or team fight your demons and stay, and did Lucian earn that third chance? 🤔📖

❗️For the full book club kit with a discussion guide, recipes, themed activities and more come join The First Editions!

If you’ve been holding onto every ounce of tension between Sloane and Lucian and you’re not quite ready to leave Knockemout behind… this is your moment. 🔥💙📚

We’re diving deep into **Things We Left Behind** by Lucy Score — and this kit is built for all the angst, grudges, power moves, and groveling we love.

✨ Tap the link for instant access to:

📚 A fully themed *Things We Left Behind* book club kit

📖 A fun, thoughtful discussion guide covering enemies-to-lovers tension, childhood trauma, second chances, emotional walls, big grovel energy, and the marriage-and-babies standoff

🍷 Lucian-inspired luxe food ideas, small-town cozy activities, and themed door prize suggestions done for you

Whether your group is ready to unpack Lucian’s “broken men break women” mindset, defend Sloane’s boundaries, or debate whether that grand gesture was enough… this kit is designed to make your meeting feel immersive, dramatic, and just the right amount of chaotic (very on brand for Knockemout).

👉 Tap the link to access the kit now and turn your next book club into a high-stakes, small-town romance experience worth talking about:

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❗️Don’t forget to come back and tell us how your meeting went — I need to know where everyone lands on the grovel scale.

💥 Happy reading! 📚💙

Just a reminder that our book club will be meeting on Wednesday, February 25th at 8PM EST!

Hope you will be there!

Happy (very belated) February, friends!

My apologies on the delay in content this month. I had midterms from the first week of February through last Wednesday, which coincided with a POTS flare and just left me... paralyzingly brain fogged, BUT I am doing better now, catching up on (non-midterm) schoolwork and everything for Bindery. January Release Round up (and February releases too!) will be coming next week, and that will get us all caught up for March.

HERE is your link to request book recs for February--the form will remain open through the end of the month, and I will do my best to get those recs sent out by the end of the month as well (unless you submit requests on the last day or two of the month... in that case you're recs will come in the first week of March.

Here is the link once again: https://forms.gle/4koDeNx6njL5yKHJ6

I hope February has treated you well so far and that you had a lovely Valentine's Day, Lunar New Year, first night of Ramadan, and/or Mardi Gras depending on what you celebrate!

Last chance to get in on the QSR book club! I'm having the best time re-reading Wake Up, Nat & Darcy (kinda spicier than I remember) and would love some people to chat about it with :) Remember to join the discord (linked in the header of my page) to chat, but I also wanted to offer a meeting time for us!

I'm about 30% of the way through The Ascended and am loving it so far! I don't want to give away any spoilers but I'm intrigued by the world (and its rules), the characters (the ones we've met, at least), and the overall writing style! I'm planning on making a large dent in pages read this week on my Kindle, so wish me luck 🍀 I'd love to hear how it's going for you and what you think so far!