Casey Clauberg

If you’re unfamiliar with it, this is a subscription box, called Book of the Month. Each month, you can pick from 5-7 selections of books that will come out that month.

It is also easy to add on additional books, or to skip months if you want!

BOTM is $10 per month, and if you use my link, we both get a discount!

Here are my predictions. This month I have 9 picks. Let’s get into it.

Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Spells for Forgetting
by Adrienne Young

Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings.
Goodreads: 4.26

Historical Fiction

The Attic Child
By Lola Jaye

A hauntingly powerful and emotionally charged novel about family secrets, love and loss, identity and belonging.
Two children trapped in the same attic, almost a century apart, bound by a shared secret.
Goodreads: 4.52

The Matchmaker’s Gift
By Lynda Cohen Loigman

From Lynda Cohen Loigman, the bestselling author of The Two-Family House and The Wartime Sisters, comes a heartwarming story of two extraordinary women from two different eras who defy expectations to utilize their unique gift of seeing soulmates in the most unexpected places in The Matchmaker’s Gift.
Goodreads: 4.45

Thriller/Mystery

Killers of a Certain Age
By: Deanna Raybourn

They’ve spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they’re sixty years old, four women friends can’t just retire – it’s kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller.
Goodreads: 4.31

All Dressed Up
By Jilly Gagnon

The weekend getaway at the gorgeous manor hotel should have been perfect. But Becca is freshly smarting from her husband Blake’s betrayal and knows this is just an expensive attempt at an apology. She may not be ready to forgive him, but the drinks are strong, the estate is stunning, and the weekend has an elaborate 1920s murder mystery theme. She decides to get into the spirit of things and enjoy their stay. What could go wrong?
Goodreads: 3.25

Contemporary/Literary

The Fortunes of Jaded Women
By: Carolyn Huynh

It started with their ancestor Oanh who dared to leave her marriage for true love—so a fearsome Vietnamese witch cursed Oanh and her descendants so that they would never find love or happiness, and the Duong women would give birth to daughters, never sons.
Goodreads: 4.06

All That’s Left Unsaid
By: Tracey Lien

A deeply moving and unflinching debut following a young Vietnamese-Australian woman who returns home to her family in the wake of her brother’s shocking murder, determined to discover what happened–a dramatic exploration of the intricate bonds and obligations of friendship, family, and community.
Goodreads: 4.00

Romance

Love on the Brain
By: Ali Hazelwood

Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project – a literal dream come true – Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.
Goodreads: 4.22

When in Rome
By: Sarah Adams

Amelia Rose, known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, is burned-out from years of maintaining her “princess of pop” image. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.
Goodreads: 4.27

THE BOOK:

East and West. Humans and Spirits. Breccans and Tamerlaines. The Isle of Cadence has always held itself and its residents in a tenuous balance. But now Bane, the spirit of the North Wind, has pushed everyone and everything in his path off-kilter in a bid to claim dominion over all.

In the West, Adaira struggles to adjust to the more brutal, bitter ways of life among the Breccans. Striving to find her place in the clan, she swiftly realizes that it just might be the last role she desires to hold. And while magic blooms effortlessly for the Breccans in the west, the spirits continue to suffer beneath Bane’s harsh power, felt in every gust of wind.

In the East, Jack is adrift without Adaira until he sings to the ember-weak fire spirits, acquiring a dangerous mission he never expected. One that is destined to lead him westward. Likewise, Torin and Sidra are consumed by a new mystery as sickness spreads first amongst the crops, and then to the people of the Tamerlaine clan. While Sidra desperately searches for a cure, Torin dares to strike a bargain with the spirits—a precarious folly anytime, but especially now as the days grow darker.

With the island falling further out of balance, humans and spirits alike will need to join together to face Bane, and Jack’s gift with the harp will be called upon once more. Yet no one can challenge the North Wind without paying a terrible price, and the sacrifice required this time may be more than Jack, Adaira, Torin, and Sidra can bear to pay.

THE REVIEW:

I received an ARC of this book from Harper Voyage via NetGalley, and I would like to thank them so much! I was so excited when I was approved and I am still reeling from finishing this book.

This is the second in The Elements of Cadence series. I read the first book after getting it from BOTM, and I absolutely adored it! After getting this copy of the second book, I devoured it super fast, and loved every minute.
What we knew of our main characters in A River Enchanted, was only built on, and they became even more dynamic and lovable. Jack, Adaria and Sidra especially went on such a journey in this book, and after this book, I love them even more. I wanted more from Frae and more from the sisters, but other than that it was great.
Again, the Isle of Cadence was magical! Just like in book one, the island was beautifully written and explained. I understood the atmosphere of this book, but there’s also a wonderful different between the descriptions of the East and West. I also want to point out, that the rules and logic of Cadence are perfectly explained, and I had hardly no questions while reading it. It was done extremely well, and I loved it.
I LOVE REBECCA ROSS’S WRITING! I will always love it. She has such a unique way of describing the characters, atmosphere, and plot, and I really really really love it. There’s not much else to say about that. I just love it so much.
I had no idea what to expect from the Breccan clan, but the plot exceeded my expectations. I loved how the lore played a big part again, in this book, and it was just so incredible to read.
Unlike the first book, I gobbled this one up. I read it super fast, but it was a long one. BUT I LOVED THIS BOOK. It’s rare to have the second book be better than the first, but I think this is one of those times.

Characters: 9
Atmosphere: 10
Writing: 10
Plot: 9
Intrigue: 8
Logic: 9
Enjoyment: 9
CAWPILE: 64
5 stars!