So, I have started a new thing which I plan on doing at the end of every year where I look back on my years worth of ratings and decide if I still feel the same way and if not, I change it.

In all the transparency, I will be noting down here all the changes made.

Plot: After decades of adventuring, Viv the orc barbarian is finally hanging up her sword for good. Now she sets her sights on a new dream – for she plans to open the first coffee shop in the city of Thune. Even though no one there knows what coffee actually is. If Viv wants to put the past behind her, she can’t go it alone. Help might arrive from unexpected quarters – yet rivals old and new stand in the way of success. And Thune’s shady underbelly could make it all too easy for Viv to take up the blade once more. But the true reward of the uncharted path is the travellers you meet along the way. Whether bound by ancient magic, delicious pastries or a freshly brewed cup, they may become something deeper than Viv could ever have imagined.

So, I have been having very mixed feelings towards this book. On paper, it’s everything I would have wanted. But the reality for me was a story that kind of felt a bit lacklustre. After nearly 10 months of thinking about it and reading the prequel, I just didn’t love it and felt like I needed to slightly lower my rating.

Plot: Narumi and Hirotaka are, by all appearances, a power couple. They’re young, good-looking professionals. But they have secrets from everyone but each other: They’re serious geeks! Narumi is a fujoshi, and Hirotaka’s a hardcore gamer. 

After all the hype I was hearing I was super excited to read this adult romance. I haven’t read much adult manga so I was excited to branch out. Unfortunately, this was underwhelming, the character dynamics made no sense and I just didn’t feel the chemistry at all.

Plot: An archaeologist’s wife is murdered on the shores of the River Tigris in Iraq. It was clear to nurse Amy Leatheran that something sinister was going on at the Hassanieh dig, something associated with the presence of ‘Lovely Louise’, the wife of the celebrated archaeologist Dr. Leidner. But she couldn’t pinpoint it. In a few days’ time Hercule Poirot was due to drop in at the excavation site. With Louise suffering terrifying hallucinations, and tension within the group becoming almost unbearable, Poirot might just be too late…

This was 100% a case of getting caught up in the ending. The ending got me so hyped up that I completely forgot about how it literally made no sense. The plot holes… But I still had such a great time so I lowered it to a 3.

Plot: Two sisters. One throne. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown? Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to avenge her parents’ murder and usurp the princess, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility including marriage into a brutal kingdom. Life outside the palace walls is a place to be feared and she is soon to discover that it’s wilder than she ever imagined. Twin sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better…

So, I enjoyed this when I read it but it was after attending an event where the two authors were talking about the sequel did I really come to appreciate the book a whole lot more. From the varying inspiration, the little details I originally missed. Yeah, I have to bump it up!

Plot: For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it’s her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu. When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom’s greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning’s only chance to save her sister’s life.  But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

So I read this for book group and again after I finished it. I gave it 4 stars but after discussing it with the rest of the book group members we all kind of agreed it was enjoyable but we didn’t have too much to say after that.

Plot: Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on. Fox D’Mora is a medium, and though is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isn’t entirely without his uses—seeing as he’s actually the godson of Death. When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn’t nearly as distinct as they thought.

I had conflicting feelings regarding this book due to my expectations being different to what was in the book. Both Viola and Fox get equal billing but Viola is completely over-shadowed by Fox and is not given the same amount of love. The plot tries to be purposefully vague in a way that comes across confusing and over-complicated. So for that I had to lower my rating.