teatimelit

Mini Reviews: The Heartbreak Bakery, The Haunting of Hill House, Fake It Till You Bake It, & How We Fall Apart

Hello friends! We’re halfway through March, which is just plain crazy! How’re you doing with your reading goals? Things have been going well for me so far! As of this post, I’ve read 10 books this month and I just hit 50 books read this year, which was my goal for the end of the month so I’m feeling pretty confident right now!

I’m in the middle of 3 books right now and hoping to finish all 3 and start more by the end of the weekend. Last weekend was pretty busy, so I didn’t have as much time to read as I would’ve liked. That being said, I thought that it would be fun to post some mini reviews this week!

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Spotlight: The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman

Hi, hello friends! This week I thought it would be fun to tell you all about my next read! The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman was the additional book in the January Illumicrate, and I have been so excited to read it ever since I received it. Unfortunately I haven’t really been in the mood for a fantasy until now, but I am itching to pick it up and get reading – I have a sneaky feeling it’s a book I’m going to love! Here’s the synopsis for The Ivory Key: 

Magic, a prized resource, is the only thing between peace and war. When magic runs out, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source before their country is swallowed by invading forces. The first in an Indian-inspired duology.

Vira is desperate to get out of her mother’s shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country’s only quarry running out of magic–a precious resource that has kept Ashoka safe from conflict–she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. And if her enemies discover this, they’ll stop at nothing to seize the last of the magic.

Vira’s only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumored to unlock a new source of magic. But in order to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve it, she must reunite with her siblings, torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken. Each of them has something to gain from finding the Ivory Key–and even more to lose if they fail. Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for escape from his impending political marriage. Kaleb, falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani needs it to clear his name. And Riya, a runaway who cut all family ties, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to the rebels who want to strip the nobility of its power.

They must work together to survive the treacherous journey. But with each sibling harboring secrets and their own agendas, the very thing that brought them together could tear apart their family–and their world–for good. 

Doesn’t it sound fantastic? I can’t wait to read and review this book for everyone, so keep your eyes peeled for when that gets posted! 

Links for The Ivory Key: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | IndieBound 

Features: Allison Saft, A Far Wilder Magic, and Animal Crossing!

Hello hello, friends! Happy Friday! I hope you’re all doing well and staying safe! Grab a cup of tea, or another warm beverage of your choice, and get cozy. We’ve got a guest here today at tea time lit, and it’s a post that I’ve wanted to do for a really long time! 

As you may know, I’m a huge Animal Crossing fan. Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved playing Animal Crossing — in fact, I named my childhood dog after KK Slider himself. So you can only imagine my excitement when Allison Saft was down to visit tea time lit again for A Far Wilder Magic’s release, and to decorate her island as the world of A Far Wilder Magic for a post! 

When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala, the last living mythical creature, she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow. Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches, and unlock an ancient magical secret. If Margaret wins the hunt, it may finally bring her mother home. While Margaret is the best sharpshooter in town, only teams of two can register, and she needs an alchemist.

Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist–yet. Fired from every apprenticeship he’s landed, his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret and her bloodhound Trouble. Margaret begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.

Although they make an unlikely team, Wes is in awe of the girl who has endured alone on the outskirts of a town that doesn’t want her, in this creaking house of ghosts and sorrow. And even though Wes disrupts every aspect of her life, Margaret is drawn to him. He, too, knows what it’s like to be an outsider. As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise, Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt – if they survive that long. 

Links for A Far Wilder Magic: Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop | IndieBound

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Let’s Talk: Rereading Childhood Favorites – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Hi friends! Welcome to the first installment of my Rereading Childhood Favorites series – you can check out my initial blog post for more info! I’m a firm believer that books we read as children shape us into the adults that we become, and that’s part of why I am so excited about this series.

With my birthday coming up this week (the 12th) I thought that it would be fitting to start this series by discussing the book that I think influenced me the most in my adolescence: Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.

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Review: The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

A wedding planner left at the altar. Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina’s managed to make other people’s dreams come true as a top-tier wedding coordinator in DC. After impressing an influential guest, she’s offered an opportunity that could change her life. There’s just one hitch… she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials.

Tired of living in his older brother’s shadow, marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he’ll be working with his brother’s whip-smart, stunning —absolutely off-limits — ex-fiancée. And she loathes him.

If they can survive the next few weeks and nail their presentation without killing each other, they’ll both come out ahead. Except Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride, and Lina’s ready to dish out a little payback of her own.

But even the best laid plans can go awry, and soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina isn’t interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again…

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ARC Review: One for All by Lillie Lainoff

An OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.

Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone in town thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl”; even her mother is desperate to marry her off for security. But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion.

Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for a new kind of Musketeer: women who are socialites on the surface, but strap daggers under their skirts, seduce men into giving up dangerous secrets, and protect France from downfall. And they don’t shy away from a swordfight.

With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels for the first time like she has a purpose, like she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her first target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming, and breathlessly attractive—and he might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to lean on her friends, listen to her own body, and decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.

This debut novel is a fierce, whirlwind adventure about the depth of found family, the strength that goes beyond the body, and the determination it takes to fight for what you love.

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 ARC Review: Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron

Kamila Hussain’s life might not be perfect, but, whew, it’s close. She lives a life of comfort, filled with her elaborate Bollywood movie parties, a dog with more Instagram followers than most reality stars, a job she loves, and an endless array of friends who clearly need her help finding love. In fact, Kamila is so busy with her friends’ love lives, she’s hardly given any thought to her own . . .

Fortunately, Kamila has Rohan Nasser. A longtime friend of the family, he’s hugely successful, with the deliciously lean, firm body of a rock climber. Only lately, Kamila’s “harmless flirting” with Rohan is making her insides do a little bhangra dance.

But between planning the local shelter’s puppy prom, throwing a huge work event, and proving to everyone that she’s got it all figured out, Kamila isn’t letting herself get distracted—until her secret nemesis returns to town with an eye for Rohan. Suddenly, it seems like the more Kamila tries to plan, the more things are starting to unravel—and her perfectly ordered life is about to be turned upside down.

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Review: A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

From debut author Stacy Willingham comes a masterfully done, lyrical thriller, certain to be the launch of an amazing career. A Flicker in the Dark is eerily compelling to the very last page.

When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, Chloe’s father had been arrested as a serial killer and promptly put in prison. Chloe and the rest of her family were left to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

Now 20 years later, Chloe is a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. She finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to get. Sometimes, though, she feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. And then a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, and that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, and seeing parallels that aren’t really there, or for the second time in her life, is she about to unmask a killer? 

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Wrap Up: February 2022

We here at teatimelit stand with our friends in Ukraine, and condemn the actions of the Russian state. We encourage those who are able to donate to the Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund, with all donations going to supporting Ukraine citizens who are vulnerable. You can find a link for the Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund here, as well as another resource for where you can donate. 

Goodness, hasn’t February flown by? It’s been a big month for us all here, and we’re so excited to be sharing with you what we’ve read this month. 

This month Caitlyn read 19 books, Cossette read 17 books, and Mary read 7 books. 

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Review: Homicide and Halo-Halo and Interview with author Mia P. Manansala

Things are heating up for Lila Macapagal. Not in her love life, which she insists on keeping nonexistent despite the attention of two very eligible bachelors. Or her professional life, since she can’t bring herself to open her new cafe after the unpleasantness that occurred a few months ago at her aunt’s Filipino restaurant, Tita Rosie’s Kitchen. No, things are heating up quite literally, since summer, her least favorite season, has just started.

To add to her feelings of sticky unease, Lila’s little town of Shady Palms has resurrected the Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pageant, which she won many years ago–a fact that serves as a wedge between Lila and her cousin slash rival, Bernadette. But when the head judge of the pageant is murdered and Bernadette becomes the main suspect, the two must put aside their differences and solve the case–because it looks like one of them might be next.

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