Author Archives: Autumn Bass

““I tell you what makes me madder than a hornet. When people tell other people how they should feel.”

Adams

Length: 305 pages

Rating: 4 Stars

Three words/phrases: Pie, small-town, adorable

In all honestly, I picked up this book on a whim because I loved the cover. (A cute glance while baking pie? How could I resist?) I was in need of something light and fun amid a rough semester, and on both accounts, this book came through!

This novel follows famous pop star Rae Rose, whose career has been weighing on her heavily. After watching the famous Audrey Hepburn movie for which the book is named, she decides to escape her life of fame for a while and drive to Rome, Kentucky. When she’s there, her car breaks down in front of the house of none other than Noah Walker, a local who has recently taken over his grandmother’s pieshop and carries baggage of his own. She finds out it will take a couple weeks to fix her car, which means she’s stuck in the cute little down with an even cuter baker…

I have to admit, I am a big fan of the “car breaks down in a small town” trope. I love the idea of stumbling into a place where everyone knows everyone and building a home there. It’s not just about the romance (which is lovely), but also about becoming part of a community. It usually gives me Schitt’s Creek vibes, which I adore. This novel did a great job of playing into that trope with unique characters all over town. From Noah’s sisters to the hairdressers at the salon, everyone that had a role in the story helped build an atmosphere of joyful simplicity that I always crave when reading these types of novels.

The romance itself was a perfect blend of sweet and simple that just made all the warm and fuzzies come out. There was a touch of grumpy meets sunshine in this book, with Noah being a bit closed off after what happened in his previous relationship. He is reluctant to let Amelia in, but the more time they spend together, the more he begins to let down his guard. I am a big fan of friends first, and this book did well as it depicted them starting to hang out together and learning they can just be themselves around each other. It’s such an important step in a relationship, and I think it makes the eventual romance so much sweeter! I also liked that it wasn’t just the two of them all the time. They hung out with Noah’s sisters and other folks in the town, which made it seem even more intimate and real.

The last point I wanted to note was the character growth of Amelia. From the first scene of the book, she is starting to take control of her life. Because she is such a public figure, a lot of her decisions are made for her manager, Susan, but as she starts to learn things about herself and her management team, she takes matters into her own hands. I like seeing women stand up for themselves and say no if they have to, to protect their physical and mental health. I was constantly whispering, “Yes, go Amelia,” to my book by the end of the story.

This was my first book by Sarah Adams, and it did not disappoint! Her writing is easy to read and funny, and I really enjoyed all of her characters. If you’re looking for a great small-town romance, this one is perfect! I would highly recommend it if you’re having a bad day and in need of some book therapy. There are more books in the series (the second one just came out), and I cannot wait to read them!

“There are some things that can’t be changed with words. Some things have to be seen. They have to be felt.”

Mahurin

Length: 513 pages

Rating: 4 Stars

Three words/phrases: Witches, Bad-ass heroin, enemies to lovers

I am a sucker for a lot of things, as it turns out. Those things definitely include witches, bad-ass heroins, and romance (good god the romance), so this book was kind of destined to end up in my repertoire. (A side note- I am also a sucker for coffee with too much sugar, anything starring Kristen Bell, and happy endings you can smell just by looking at the title. But back to the book…)

“A witch and a witch hunter bound in holy matrimony. There was only one way such a story could end- a stake and a match.”

Back Cover of S&D

With a quote like that, how could I say no?

So What is it About?

Not going to lie: this gif is kind of scary accurate.

Lou is a witch on the run. If the Dames Blanchesever found her, she would be toast. Not as toasty as if the Chasseurs found her though. While the Dames Blanches would slit her throat, the church and their holy soldiers (Chasseurs) would burn her at the stake. Then there are the other people, the ones she’s robbed and tricked to make ends meet. In short, Lou’s life is rich in danger and deficient (by which I mean utterly lacking) in nights where sleep comes easy.

There is, however, a glimmer of hope: a ring.

This one isn’t hidden in a cave or a hobbit’s trunk, although it can render her invisible. More importantly though, when she wears it, others can’t detect her magic. Armed with her magic, her friend, a stomach full of sweet buns, and a highly unreliable ex boyfriend, a heist ensues.

And then, as is the case in most good stories, something goes horribly wrong. Though perhaps not in the way the reader might expect.

““Love makes fools of us all, darling.”

Mahurin

On the other side of our coin we have Reid Diggory. Reid is a few things:

Utterly loyal to the archbishop and his religion.

(Freaking adorable.)

A Chasseur. (AKA witch hunter extraordinaire)

Orphaned as a baby and raised by the church, the archbishop is like a father to him, and he would never betray his trust or the rules of the church. One of those rules was laid down long ago, and it is one by which all Chasseurs live: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

So our story finds its heroin and hero on two ends of the spectrum, but fate decides to pull some strings. There’s some bloodshed. Some magic. Some more sticky buns. Some heartbreak. Some raunchy bar songs.

Some kissing…

You’ll have to read it to know the rest.

Why was it so good?

“Our lives reflect our hearts.”

Mahurin

Books with magic so often have their way with me. The unique intricacies of each magic system never fail to fascinate me, and this book was no exception. Magic was a very tangible thing in this book, and I was able to visualize it in a way that I often find myself struggling to in other books. There are also different kinds of magic, which is kind of a new take that I thought was intriguing and clever. (I think I would rather be a Dame Blanches than a Dame Rouge though.)

And while the magic was brilliant, as were its masters.

Lou le Blanc is a work of art. Funny, brave, loyal, with an artful vocabulary of curse words that would make rappers all over the world jealous. To me, she was reminiscent of Celaena Sardothien (for anyone who has read Throne of Glass), but because the story is told from first person, her voice comes across more clearly, and we see a little bit deeper into her persona right off the bat.

The vanilla to her dark chocolate, Reid had me swooning as well.

Reid as a character, I felt, was a perfect character to represent both sides of the situation between witches and church in the story. Sometimes, I feel as though issues are presented from one side’s point of view without taking into consideration the other’s. Although Mahurin initially seems to present a fairly firm view on the events and characters, by the end of the story the faults and values of both sides are clear, which was both compelling and refreshing.

There was also, of course, the fact that Reid happened to be devilishly handsome, kind, and so adorable he could star in a video of puppies and no one would know the difference.

Then, of course, there was the romance. It was brilliant. There wasn’t too much drama, and it left me with that thrill of anticipation and romance-novel bliss. It was not overpowering, however, leaving plenty of room for the plot, character development, friendships, and action scenes. The romance-to-story ratio should get a gold star in this one.

Speaking of things other than romance…

Strong friendships make my heart happy, especially between women, so another aspect of the story I adored was Lou’s relationship with her best friend Coco. The support and care between the two was just as strong as, if not more so, than Reid and Lou, and the two were both funny and real in their scenes together.

Plus, you couldn’t not love Coco. She and Ansel, a Chasseur in training, may have been side characters, but they were the icing on the cake. The other side characters were entertaining as well, but the two of them really pushed the story to come to life.

On the writing…

Mahurin’s writing style is captivating and fluid, which made the book easy to devour. With college starting and the anxiety surrounding the pandemic, my reading time has definitely declined, but whenever I picked up this book to read a chapter I felt myself dragged into the story, head over heels.

The chapters are split between Lou and Reid, and each chapter had a definitive feel. Lou’s brash whirlwind of thought and wit, sprinkled with some colorful word choice was a stark contrast to Reid’s more stoic take on life and his constant worry about displeasing the archbishop or the church.

Also, a random bit I enjoyed were the chapter titles! I read so many books that just number the chapter, and while I won’t complain about that, I kind of love chapter titles. It’s like a sneak peak of what’s to come. (Although I don’t think anyone could top Rick Riordan’s chapter title game.)

If you liked:

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

And the general plot of enemies to lovers romance and ya fantasy, this is a book you will not want to miss!

Have a lovely day all!