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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair | ARC Review

17th September 2020
The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair
- Publisher: Ylva Publishing, October 1st 2019
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: eARC
- Page Count: 285 pages
- My Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Content warnings: non-consensual kissings between the main characters, one instance of bi-erasure from a minor character, underlying misogyny from antagonists. Note that ableist language is also present in the book (crazy, insane, mad, blind).

Sinclair definitely surprised me with The X Ingredient. I don’t normally do well with ice-queen, age-gap, office romance, but I wanted to try anyway. And I am so glad I did.
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

Presidential by Lola Keeley | ARC Review

13th September 2020
Presidential by Lola Keeley
- Publisher: Ylva Publishing, 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: eARC
- Page Count: 235 pages
- My Rating: ★★★ (3/5)
Content warnings: shooting, off-page deaths, parental loss, spousal loss, biphobia from antagonists, uses of ableist language

There have been a lot of discussions on how this book closely resembles Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay The American President. Since I have never seen the film, I decided to read Presidential first, rate it, then skim through the script. Therefore, the similarities between the two works do not affect my rating. I consider Presidential as Keeley reimagining a queer, female The American President.
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

Destiny’s Choice by Karen Frost | ARC Review

12th September 2020
Destiny’s Choice (Destiny and Darkness #3) by Karen Frost
- Publisher: Ylva Publishing, September 2nd 2020
- Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ+
- Format: eARC
- Word Count: 76,000 words
- My Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
Content warnings: ableism, deaths of secondary characters, kidnapping

If Daughter of Fire shares the theme with the MG/YA fantasy series by a certain transphobic author, Destiny’s Choice feels like an ode to The Lord of the Rings (which I have only watched onscreen).

Knights Asher, Taz, Henrek, Jazmen, and shapeshifter Great Mage Marandir accompany Knight Commander Bronwen (paraplegia) to negotiate for peace with the Souththerners. But no Iliryan has ever came back from the Southlands alive.
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

Daughter of Fire: The Darkness Rising by Karen Frost | ARC Review

11th September 2020
Daughter of Fire: The Darkness Rising (Destiny and Darkness #2) by Karen Frost
- Publisher: Ylva Publishing, November 17th 2019
- Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: eARC
- Page Count: 196 pages
- My Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
Content warnings: death, blood, cult, kidnapping, mind control

This story has certainly kept me on the edge of my seat. Frost made great decisions on where a chapter should break, and I find myself unable to even pause reading.

In part two of Daughter of Fire, Aeryn (16) finally learns that her family is likely alive. And some people around her are definitely up to no good. When things break into chaos, can Aeryn and her fellow students save the kingdom they don’t really care for?
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

Daughter of Fire: Conspiracy of the Dark by Karen Frost

10th September 2020
Daughter of Fire: Conspiracy of the Dark (Destiny and Darkness #1) by Karen Frost
- Publisher: Ylva Publishing, October 1st 2019
- Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: eARC
- Page Count: 208 pages
- My Rating: ★★★ (3/5)
Content warning: death of minor characters, magical gaslighting, blood, kidnapping, minor character with cancer

This is part one of Daughter of Fire. Though possibly unfair to rate now, it was indeed published as two separate books. I am giving a somewhat positive rating since the story is fairly good so far. With the knowledge of only 50% of the plot, this review might be a little spoilery but not much more than what the publisher’s blurb already stated.
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