5-Star Archives - The Litertarian

Book Review:: Fallen City | Adrienne Young

A city is falling – it’s inevitable – but the man who started it is also the one who cannot leave. Not without her.

Fallen City by Adrienne Young Book Cover

Maris and Luca, oh my my. This book has political tension, mystical mysteries, warfront tactics, rivalries, brotherhood, courting, and a love so deep and true it’ll have you aching for more and afraid to find out what happens next.

The pacing and reveals in this book are its crowning achievement. Young pulls you through the novel with sparse inner-chapter hints and last-line gut-punches that keep that sense of discovery feeling constant through just about the whole book. It’s propulsive. It’s a valuable lesson for writers (like me).

I honestly feel like the plot is secondary here, though there is plenty of it to sink your teeth into. But it’s the characters that make it unforgettable.

Will I read the next installment? You don’t even have to ask.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Fallen City (Fallen City Duology #1)
Author:: Adrienne Young
Genre:: Romantasy
Publisher:: Saturday Books
Length:: 416 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 19m
Audiobook Narrator:: Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick & Leela Bassuk
Published:: November 4th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Divine Rivals, Rebecca Ross
Heartless Hunter, Kristen Ciccarelli
Our Infinite Fates, Laura Steven
The City in Glass, Nghi Vo
What the River Knows, Isabel Ibanez

Book Review:: Caller Unknown | Gillian McAllister

Love makes fools of us all, and we all know nothing is stronger than a mother’s love. Simone and Lucy just wanted to have a nice mother-daughter holiday camping in the west Texas desert.

Note to self: never book a holiday in west Texas.

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister Book Cover

Lucy is snatched from her bed in the middle of the night, with nothing but an outdated flip phone in her place. When it rings, it’s an unknown caller, and they’ve ransomed her daughter. Simone and Lucy are in a time of transition. Lucy is preparing to go off to college, and Simone is feeling the absence of her more than ever, making the ache of intense love only a mother can understand more tender than ever. Perhaps it is this specific texture of feeling that leads to what happens next.

What would you do, when pressed into a corner, to recover one you love?

Gillian McAllister is so good at what she does. Her thrillers have an atmosphere and a desperation and a logic that propels you through the pages relentlessly. It’s a story about familial love, it’s a story of desperation, it’s a story about having to move without knowing if it’s safe, where it’s safe, or who is safe.

Don’t miss it.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title::Caller Unknown
Author::Gillian McAllister
Genre:: Thriller
Publisher:: Willam Morrow
Length:: 336 pages
Published::May 5th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: The Relic of the Wildwood | E.J. Venter

A perilous quest. A fierce protector. And a young woman who doesn’t believe she’s enough. These are the ones tasked with saving the world from an evil force none understand. Will they survive long enough to succeed?

The Relic of the Wildwood by EJ Venter Book Cover

The first thing I want to say about this book is how completely engrossed I was from the very beginning. Though there are common fantasy elements in this story, it had a unique feel I can’t quite describe. That’s not to say it’s cookie cutter at all, but I felt like I was reading about something real.

Alarie has no self-confidence because it has all been sapped out of her by her mother, whom I suspect is up to something greater. She is sent to accomplish an impossible task, and one of the greatest warriors in the realm is sworn to protect her, reluctantly, but dutifully. This first book does so much to set the stage for what could truly be an epic tale.

This is a story that has lingered in my mind long after I read, and I’m happy to see book two is already available to read. That’s where you can find me next!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title::The Relic of the Wildwood (Relics of the Gods Book 1)
Author::E. J. Venter
Genre::Fantasy
Publisher::Indie
Length:: 306 pages
Published::December 15th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Thief of Night | Holly Black
The Summer War | Naomi Novik
Awake in the Floating City | Susanna Kwan
Anji Kills A King | Evan Leikam

Book Review:: Everyday Spiritual Habits | Hanna Seymour

Everyday Spiritual Habits by Hanna Seymour was written for women like me: moms of small children, or other busy folks who want to find time to grow their spiritual practices. Inviting Jesus into the tiny moments of our lives, to cultivate the spirit, learn scripture, and feel closer to God, even in the mundane of every day.

Everyday Spiritual Habits by Hanna Seymour Book Cover

I found Hanna and her writing style to be very relatable, authentic, and inviting. She has been a Christian for what sounds like her entire life, but I’m a little baby Christian trying to find a way in to a spiritual practice for the first time as a grown up. This book is exactly what I needed.

It builds upon the framework of James Clear’s Atomic Habits and the scripture itself, teaching how to choose good habits, how to break them down, where to fit them in, and how to make them actually stick. I do a lot of self-improvement, and I got several new insights from this book on general habit forming, too. These techniques can work on any goal you have.

I love that she gives real world practical advice on how to fit in the most foundational, integral pieces of a Christian spiritual practice, specifically studying scripture, and prayer. She also emphasizes the importance of friendship and community and really gives an excellent pep talk on that subject that has really inspired me.

One of the biggest takeaways I got from this book wasn’t even a major point of emphasis in the book. It can apply to any fill in the blank:

Was that time spent with God, or just time spent?

Oof, the impact of that statement.

It’s a lesson on presence I will carry with me in everything I do.

Excellent book you have here, Hanna. I believe this has the potential to impact a lot of people, women, specifically, to live more intentional lives, and nurture their relationship to God. Thank you for sharing it with me.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Everyday Spiritual Habits: Small, Simple Ways to Transform Your Faith, Starting Now
Author:: Hanna Seymour
Genre:: Non-Fiction
Publisher:: Worthy Books
Length:: 240 pages
Published:: February 3rd, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

Book Review:: The Ex Vows | Jessica Joyce

I get it now, the intense hype for Jessica Joyce. The Ex Vows is an angsty, emotional story about childhood friends who once took a shot at love and missed, coming back together for their best friend’s wedding and finding the embers still burning deep.

Georgia and Eli had a connection ever since they met as kids, which manifested in a tight-knit friend group that never wavered. That is, until they finally recognized deeper feelings one summer at the vineyard, and that changed everything. But they were young, and stupid, and were too good at ignoring their problems until they were too big to handle. Fast forward a few years, and their third wheel best friend Adam has found his person and they’re getting married. It’s not the first time Georgia and Eli will see each other since the breakup, but nine days? It might as well be an eternity. With a wedding that is cursed with the worst possible luck, and Georgia and Eli as the fixers, the two of them are seeing far too much of each other to maintain the careful avoidance they’ve practiced for years. It’s time to finally face the truth.

I should probably only give this book five stars, but this is a case of the prose making it impossible to rate it lower. Jessica Joyce can write, y’all. The way she builds an emotionally wrought scene in the present while pulling backstory and flashbacks in those same moments without losing focus is immaculate. It’s the kind of writing I want to do. So yeah, five stars.

My problem with the story itself I think stems from Georgia’s personality? It’s consistent, at least, but she gives herself so many problems by being a people-pleaser at any cost, especially to herself. She feels like she has to earn her relationships, that if she doesn’t invest in them consistently, smooth out any discomforts that might arise, her friends might realize they don’t need her and she’ll lose them. It’s a deep hurt that stems from her family life, and it’s still a very real part of her daily life.

This book explores a prioritizing friends culture I’ve never experienced. For these folks, friendship is everything. It covers a lot of versions of friendships being tried and tested. It’s something very important to Georgia. Maybe too important? But that’s probably being conflated in my mind with her aptitude as a major pushover.

Aside from that, this story has heaps of swoon-worthy romance. As I mentioned before, she uses just enough of the history between Georgia and Eli to make us burn and yearn for them in the present. I really appreciated that these flawed characters in the end earned their happy ever after.

Read it for the prose, read it for the redemption, read it for learning from clumsy mistakes. Read it for the immersive summer vineyard vibes. Read it because this is the kind of love story that demands a place in your thoughts for a long time after you’re done turning the pages.

Details

Title:: The Ex Vows
Author:: Jessica Joyce
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 390 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 10m
Audiobook Narrator:: Kyla Garcia
Published:: July 16th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: The Hating Game | Sally Thorne

I have heard The Hating Game referred to out in the bookish ether for years, but never really thought ‘hey, that’s a book I really need to read’. What I haven’t seen is anyone specifically gushing about how phenomenally good this book is. I heard of it, but I didn’t see hype, if you get my meaning. Well, I saw it in an Audible sale at some point and grabbed it just to see, and finally got around to listening. Can I just say…

Let me be the hype.

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne Book Cover

Lucy is in the fight of her life every single day against Joshua. After a merger between their two publishing houses years ago, they work at the same level, in the same office, in perfect view of one another. He is the grumbling stick-in-the-mud manager, and she is a pathological yes-man. They’ve gotten under one another’s skin since the beginning and the only way they can be somewhat civil to one another is to turn everything into a game. Games based on their mutual hatred. Mean games. Games that have HR complaints flying back and forth. But…mostly civil. When a change in the company structure means only one of them can be promoted, a new kind of game begins, and this one will end in one of them resigning to end the nemesis olympics once and for all.

Holy crap. This book. This book! I was not prepared.

Lucy truly believes Josh loathes her, and she can’t understand why. She’s the ultimate people pleaser and I think that’s the root of her fixation on his behavior. But we all know why kids tease each other on the playground…

I absolutely got that warm tingly feeling that comes in all great romance novels. The feeling that keeps you flying through the pages wincing a little bit because you don’t really want to finish it. It’s a wild dichotomy. It has everything you could possibly want in a romance and does them so friggin well.

There is so much I could say about all the little moments, but I’m so conflicted! I don’t want to spoil anything for a new reader. Half of the magic is in the discovery! Just trust me when I say this book is required reading for any romance lover out there. I’m convinced this book could cure diseases. Probably.

If you’ve been sleeping on this book like I was, this is your sign to wake up and finally…metaphorically…smell(?) The Hating Game. You won’t regret it.

Details

Title:: The Hating Game
Author:: Sally Thorne
Genre:: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy
Publisher:: William Morrow
Length:: 365 pages
Audio Length:: 12h 18m
Audiobook Narrator:: Katie Schorr
Published:: August 9th, 2016
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Let’s Call A Truce | Amy Buchanan
Funny Story | Emily Henry
Part of Your World | Abby Jimenez

Book Review:: Daddy Issues | Kate Goldbeck

I love a book with a dual meaning title, and honey, this one’s got it. Does FMC have some daddy issues? Yes, yes she does. Is MMC a single dad? Yes, yes he is. And you may think ‘Issues’ here is an otherwise throw-away word, but you’d be wrong, because a big part of the story is FMC’s comic book collection, which is printed in issues. It couldn’t be more packed with meaning, and it’s just *chef’s kiss*.

Sam was betrayed by the pandemic. Slated to start a prestigious art history program after her masters, everything was cancelled and she’s been in a holding pattern ever since, slinging fancy cocktails at a tiki bar. Not the life she thought she’d be living at twenty-six. Then, Nick and his daughter move into the next apartment, and the incident is incited. Seeing him interact with his daughter brings up a lot of old hurts for Sam, who wanted so much to be enough to get her own father’s attention. But he moved to Florida years ago and all he left behind was his massive comic book collection for Sam to look after. She used to draw comics, to connect with him, but after getting some feedback that she was an imitationist and not a real artist, she quit. And it’s not implied in the title, but Sam has mommy issues, too.

Nick isn’t complicated. He has a long history of traveling in a rockstar lifestyle, and now his job managing a Chili’s seems like it’s holding him back, but his priorities shifted when he had his daughter Kira.

Anyway, he’s super hot, and they bang. A few times. And that’s hot too.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. Sam’s voice is very strong snappy and made this a pleasure to read. I absolutely recommend you get this added to your spicy romance TBR, like, immediately.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Daddy Issues
Author:: Kate Goldbeck
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Dial Press
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 51m
Audiobook Narrator:: Harley Quinn Smith
Published:: November 18th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon | Matthew Norman

For many, the holidays are a time of profound grief. This one is for you.

As someone who doesn’t read blurbs, I was not expecting the absolute beauty of this book. Grace and Henry are both widowers whose families are pushing them to get back out there and start living again, but neither of them are quite ready. Because when are you, ever?

Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman Book Cover

Grief is a heavy blanket that surrounds this book. It is always there, in the low moments, and the high ones too. Grace had time to say goodbye to her husband, Tim. He died of cancer. But Henry did not. His wife left for a business trip and never came back home. We never know what lies ahead of us, and when our loved ones die, it is not just their lives that are cut short, but the lives we envisioned living with them for the rest of ours that dies, too.

It’s heavy stuff.

However. This book handles all of it with so much tact and realistic gravity with a dash of humor that feels so authentic. Grace is hilarious. She’s a live-wire who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and she has two young kids she has to get through this, too. Henry is more contemplative. His loss is more recent, and more raw because of the manner of her death and the days leading up to it. But through their odd and inevitable friendship, they both learn to heal and that there is still a life for them worth living for.

Ugh, this was a killer. I absolutely loved Matthew Norman’s writing here. The characters were beautiful and the world he crafts here is just immaculate. I can’t wait to dive into his backlist, because someone who can navigate the theme of grief so well is someone who knows how to craft the hell out of a story.

There is romance, too. But it is subtle and sometimes surprising. It is more about friendship and connection and honoring meaningful relationships. Henry’s friendship with Grace’s son Ian, for example, was one of my favorite parts of the book.

Wow, is all I can say. This book is a treasure.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon
Author:: Matthew Norman
Genre:: Holiday Contemporary Fiction Romance
Publisher:: Random House Publishing Group
Length:: 337 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 43m
Audiobook Narrator:: Alex Finke & Jay Myers
Published:: October 14th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: The Ministry of Time | Kaliane Bradley

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley is a fascinating, captivating, historical – sci-fi – romance – adventure – thriller. Ha. It’s a mashup of multiple genres that will have you enthralled and delighted and leaving you wondering what-if…

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley Book Cover

A young woman begins a highly secretive new job with the Ministry of Time. She is tasked with working with a specific time refugee named Graham Gore, who was rescued just before his historic death, to acclimate him to their ‘modern’ time. The shock of moving from 1847 and learning the fate of everyone and the world itself you knew, and knowing you can never return is quite the shock. There is a lot he needs to learn, and he has a lot of questions.

This book is exactly what you want in a sci-fi novel. Through an undeniably clever premise, so many ideas are introduced that will have you scrunching your brow in thought. Through a historical lens, is our modern society as advanced as we think? Or are there things we have unwittingly lost through the ages by our constant innovations and moral superiority? Methinks there has done.

Whenever one plays with time, things are bound to get messy. What begins as a thoughtful, contemplative book quickly turns into a mystery thriller with an unknown danger in pursuit of our beloved characters. Something bigger is happening, and there’s not much time to figure out what.

This book is immaculate. I loved every minute of it. I’d love recommendations of books with a similar vibe. I know I’ll be returning to The Ministry of Time many times over the years. Absolutely brilliant. I’ll be keeping my eye on Kaliane Bradley!

Details

Title:: The Ministry of Time
Author:: Kaliane Bradley
Genre:: Sci-Fi / Historical / Thriller
Publisher:: Simon & Schuster
Length:: 339 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 22m
Audiobook Narrator:: George Weightman & Katie Leung
Published:: May 7th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The City in Glass | Nghi Vo
Our Infinite Fates | L a ura Steven
Awake in a Floating City | Susanna Kwan

Book Review:: The Everlasting | Alix E. Harrow

I have read over two hundred books this year, and I hope you believe me when I say that this is the best one of them. I don’t know what I thought The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow was going to be, but I certainly didn’t expect to be adding it to my all-time favorites book list (a very exclusive place). If you only ever read one book that I recommend, please let it be this one.

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow Book Cover

The Everlasting is an academic mystery thriller adventure love story hero’s journey epoch/epic legend historical fantasy that is witty and smart and twisted and surprising and endearing and wickedly romantic and I am going to read it again about a million times before I die because that’s the kind of reader I am. I got this book for free through netgalley and the publisher (thanks, by the way), and before I finished, I had ordered myself a limited-edition hardcover so I can study this masterpiece.

Sorry, are book reviews not supposed to be written like school-girl crush-fests? Let’s get into some better detail…

There was once a legend of an orphan girl called Una who was in the right place at the right time and was chosen by a worthy queen as her champion, and she served her as a hero through all the rest of her days. Centuries later, there is a boy with a broken family and a story that has saved him, again and again, from despair. That story is of Una Everlasting. That boy is a scholar, and he is called upon to rewrite Una’s story into a magical book that transports him back to actually meet her and live her story so he can record it with an honesty and integrity that doesn’t exist in our world.

Until he learns the truth.

This book is about heroism is unlikely places. It’s about the boundless nature of love. It’s about power and honor and duty and secrets. It’s about magic and fate and family. About lies and deep, unshakable truths. Its writing is sharp and honestly delightful. The tone is adventurous and fun. There are good guys and bad guys and lots of other guys in between. There is nothing not to like about this book, and it deserves every single one of its five-star reviews.

As an aspiring author myself, Alix, how the hell? This novel is impeccable, immaculate, amazing. Thank you.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Everlasting
Author:: Alix E. Harrow
Genre:: Historical Fantasy
Publisher:: Tor Books
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 13h 41m
Audiobook Narrator:: Moira Quirk & Sid Sagar
Published:: October 28th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Tag: 5-Star

Book Review:: Fallen City | Adrienne Young

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Book Review:: Caller Unknown | Gillian McAllister

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Book Review:: The Relic of the Wildwood | E.J. Venter

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Book Review:: Everyday Spiritual Habits | Hanna Seymour

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Book Review:: The Ex Vows | Jessica Joyce

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Book Review:: The Hating Game | Sally Thorne

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Book Review:: Daddy Issues | Kate Goldbeck

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Book Review:: Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon | Matthew Norman

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Book Review:: The Ministry of Time | Kaliane Bradley

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Book Review:: The Everlasting | Alix E. Harrow

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