The Girl and the Wardrobe

Book reviews courtesy of a local nerd who enjoys living vicariously through her books. 

[thegirlandthewardrobe]

Here’s a little blurb about me💙

• Age: 28

•Why I Created this Blog: I love reading(obviously), writing book reviews and recommending new books, so I thought creating a book blog would be a great way to do that! I'm also a librarian :)

•Currently Reading: Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter, Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

•Recently Read: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, Lore Olympus Volume 7 by Rachel Smythe , Loud by Drew Afualo, Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas

•Reading Next: Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco, The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, Better Than Revenge by Kasie West

•Favorite Genres: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Dark Romance, Sci-Fi, RH or any combination of these

•Favorite Authors: Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Leigh Bardugo, M. Sinclair, Elle Thorpe and many more!

•Favorite Books/Series: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, Wicked Gods by Michelle Hercules, Dark Gods by River Ramsey, The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black, Saintview Psychos by Elle Thorpe, Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, those are just a few.

•Favorite Trope: I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lovers story

•Guilty Pleasure: Reverse Harems and Bully Romance novels

•Favorite Book to Movie Adaptations: Catching Fire, The Chronicles of Narnia, Divergent, Everything Everything, Shadow & Bone(ok not a movie, but an amazing tv show adaptation), and The Darkest Minds(I know it wasn’t a huge fan favorite, but I really enjoyed this one!

•Highly Anticipated Reads: Lore Olympus Volume 8 by Rachel Smythe, Bonds of Hercules by Jasmine Mas

•Lastly, I’ll post the link to my Goodreads profile as well. I have a couple different book lists I’m working on if you’re in search of something new to read!

Happy Reading!

-❤️

P.S. Here are the links to my book reviews, recommendations, and Goodreads lists for those of you on mobile.

Book Reviews: https://thegirlandthewardrobe.tumblr.com/bookreviews

Book Recommendations: https://thegirlandthewardrobe.tumblr.com/bookrecs

Goodreads Book Lists: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/26457054-ari

[thegirlandthewardrobe]

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

~3.5/5⭐️

I'm gonna try my best to keep this one short and sweet.....this one was AIGHT. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly disappointed, and maybe that's my own fault for putting the first book on such a high pedestal, because Iron Flame simply did not live up to the hype. I think my biggest problem with this book is that the entire first half was SO BORING😴I'm not even going to tell y'all how long it took me to get through the first half. It felt like someone was holding me hostage and forcing me to read each page, and it surely didn't help that the kindle version was over 900 PAGES??? The first half of the book essentially takes place between Basgaith and Samara, and I could not care less about anything that happened during this portion of the book. All I could focus on was how insanely annoying Violet and Xaden's "situationship" was. I mean, for two people who can communicate via MENTAL BOND, they sure as hell don't put it to good use. 99.9% of the problems they faced in the first half of the book could have been solved/avoided with a 10 minute conversation. But no, they both chose to wallow in their sorrows instead. Truly INFURIATING. I also feel like all of the unnecessary drama negated majority of their character growth from the first book. The spice was mid, I didn't hate it, but it also wasn't nearly as good as in the first book. I'm also begging someone to tell Rebecca Yarros that main characters can in fact have multiple friendships that exist simultaneously....

The last like 300 pages though? Absolute fire🔥The plot really takes off and the story and world building that I adored in the first book magically reappears. I would even say that almost TOO much happened in the last 300 pages, only because things started to feel rushed and underdeveloped, leaving me slightly confused at times. It's almost as if, the whole first half of the book could have been 300 pages shorter....but what do I know🤷🏾‍♀️ ANYWAYS.....Xaden is still the love of my life, Violet is still a complete badass, and the dragons are still my favorite part about this series. That's all I guess, so much for short and sweet🌚

As always,

Happy Reading❤️

[thegirlandthewardrobe]

A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

~5/5 Stars⭐️

This.was.so.fudging.good. WHAT THE HECK???? How am I supposed to move on with my life after this😭 But seriously, this book was absolutely amazing. I stumbled across this book after finishing Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros(still not over that one either tbh), which left me with the biggest book hangover of my life bro. I was looking for anything even remotely similar, dragons, magic, whatever. And let me tell you, A Promise of Fire delivered baby!! The story is so well written and the characters and world building are all solid as a 🪨. Even the side characters were amazing, and that’s a rare feeling for me! Cat is the kingmaker, which is basically this all powerful being with the ability to make or break anyone who sits on the throne. Power like that comes with a cost, and Cat has spent the majority of her life paying the price for it. That is until she joins a traveling circus(I promise it’s not as out of place as it sounds). There she runs into Griffin, the INSANELY hot, caring, and ruthless alpha sinta who has just dethroned the current royals and put his sister in charge instead. There’s nothing, and I mean nothing y’all, I wouldn’t do for Griffin. A kill and ask questions later man, who’s also the biggest softie in the realm? SIGN ME UP COACH. It should also be noted that the spice and angst in this book gave Fourth Wing and ACOTAR a run for its fudging money🥵 This was the slow burn of my dreamsss😩 Honestly, my only complaint about this book was that TRASH ENDING. Like, no really. What was that???? I genuinely thought I skipped a chapter and went straight to the end. But nope, just the world’s worst cliffy and a somewhat happy ending. I have so many questions still!!! I swear I could go on for days🙄 ANYWAYS.

As always,

Happy Reading❤️

[thegirlandthewardrobe]

Fourth Wing By Rebecca Yarros

~6/5⭐️

HOLY. SH*T. This book was absolutely amazing! Like, I’m genuinely speechless????? Y’all I don’t think I’ve been this excited and geeked about a book in FOREVER. I didn’t think any book/series could ever top my love for ACOTAR(I have 2 tattoos to prove it), but here we are, and I’m unfortunately left to pick up the pieces of my life after finishing this book. Book hangover of the century baby! And I’d do it all over again for the chance to read this book for the first time again🫶🏾 When I say I love high fantasy, this is what I mean!! The characters, the world building, the plot, the tastefully done angst??? AND dragons??? I fudging love it. Violet deserves an award for bada$$ of the year baby🔪 And don’t even get me started on Xaden….I’d do anything for him. Homeboy could tell me to crawl on all fours and bark and I’d do in in a heartbeat😘 And the side characters??? Exceptional. I can’t even remember the last time I read a book where I loved all of the supporting characters this much. Chefs kiss baby👩🏽‍🍳😘. I was going to dive into a few details of the story butttt, I went in blind and I honestly think you should too! I had zero knowledge and zero expectations for this. All I knew was that people in my facebook groups were going absolutely feral over it, and honestly rightfully so🤷🏽‍♀️ With that being said, this is me begging you to trust me (and my fantastic taste in books) and go into this one blind, and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

As always,

Happy Reading❤️

[rinnystee]

hi i brought some memes based on fourth wing

and i also created a playlist:

upd: i don't know what the problem is with the playlist showing, i'll try to fix it

[ineedtoventaboutbooks]

When he calls her ✨violence✨ 💕

[ur-daily-inspiration]

“What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book, and a cup of coffee?” —Anthony Trollope

[thegirlandthewardrobe]

Gluttony: A Little Red Riding Hood Retelling by Kira Roman

~4/5 Stars⭐

Another solid Kira Roman read! I think I've mentioned this before, but fairytale/folklore retellings usually aren't my thing. However, this one peaked my interest. This was a modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, with an RH twist. The RH aspect of this was interesting, I was expecting there to be several guys in the harem, but really there were only ever 2. Well, I guess 3 if you include Wolf's other personality🌚 Hunter and Wolf didn't have the easiest life growing up, their dad was an abusive, raging drunk and their mom wasn't much better. Both boys spent the majority of their lives living in the shadows, but when Scarlett, the cute neighbor they've spent their lives obsessing over, finds herself in danger, the boys realize they're willing to do anything to keep her safe. For the most part, I thought Scarlett was a decent FMC, she's strong willed and a little crazy (which honestly I don't hate), but I think my biggest issue with her is that her character felt slightly unrealistic at times. Like, you're telling me this 21 year old girl who has zero experience with men, spends her days fantasizing about sleeping with her two next door neighbors???? And then proceeds to willingly let one of them kidnap her and keep her locked in their guest room, all so she can get in their pants??? Nahhh, I don't believe it for one second🤷🏾‍♀️ The stalker plot line was top tier though, and choosing to include that icky man's POV in the story was a solid move! The spice was decent, although I think Kira's done it better (IMO at least), but I'm a SUCKER for the "virgin hero" trope so that was enough for me😩Overall, not the most memorable story per se, but still a quick and entertaining read!

As always,

Happy Reading❤️

[thegirlandthewardrobe]

Delilah's Pain by Kira Roman

~4/5 Stars⭐

So, here's the thing. I've been on a MAJOR Kira Roman kick lately....Like, I've been reading all of her books. And while medium/fast burns aren't usually my thing, I've really been enjoying her books! Now, with that being said, the last 2 or 3 have been a little mid IMO. The story will be AMAZING up until the last like 30%, then everything suddenly feels like its happening entirely too fast and things start to feel rushed. That was definitely the case with this one as well. I feel like we started missing out on important details and plot developments simply because the page count was running out (this is a standalone, and Kira's books tend to be around 250 pages or less). However, I still adored this story and was genuinely hooked from the first page! If you've read my reviews before, you know that I LOVE a good bully-verse, and this one did not disappoint. Delilah's bullying was pretty brutal ngl, homegirl was getting her shit rocked for the majority of the story. Which leads me to my next issue, there was not enough groveling! Like at all. Only 2 of the guys were responsible for the bullying (Coal and Quil), and I get why they did what they did, but god, they were forgiven so easily??? Like there wasn't even a conversation about it, they just moved past it??? And I hateee when they do that because it makes it sooo hard to forgive them☹️ On the bright side though, Dean and Matteo were the bomb.com! I loved them so much, and they were so sweet and understanding and truly wanted nothing more than to keep Delilah safe🥹 All in all, this would have been a 5-star read if it weren't for the ending being rushed and the lack of groveling from Coal and Quil🤷🏾‍♀️

As always,

Happy Reading❤️

[ninja-muse]

If I’ve read a book and you’ve read a book, drop me a line so we can chat!

If I’ve read a book and you want to know about content warnings, representation, particular tropes, etc. drop me a line too!

I’m terrible at initiating contact but I like to chat! 

[spiegelgold-reads]

[thegirlandthewardrobe]

Love is Cupid by Kira Roman and K.B. Everly

~5/5 Insanely Cute Stars⭐

I'm on a Kira Roman kick right now and I don't know what it is about her books, buttt......they currently have me in a chokehold😩 Although, I will say that lately they've been feeling a little rushed towards the end, which has been slightly disappointing. However, that wasn't the case with Love is Cupid, and I'm guessing we can thank K.B. Everly for that one, thanks boo! I adored this book y'all. It was so stinking cute and a super quick and easy ready at that. True is a cupid, one of the best in the game to be exact, and she's been tasked with helping a single dad, his brother, and their bff find true love (haha, get it😉). After Milo hires her as his son's new nanny, True is determined to make sure little Cooper gets the life he deserves. But what she didn't see coming, was the three men she was assigned to help, falling in love with her along the way. I'd also like to take the time to mention that I.LOVE. TRUE. The love she has for Cooper is so sincere and the bond they share is absolutely adorable🥺 I also love the three guys, which is rare for me! Milo, Clay, and Bellamy are so different in their own ways, but their love for Cooper and True is undeniable🫶🏾 If you're looking for a cute and easy read, Love Is Cupid is the book for you!

As always,

Happy Reading❤️

[thegirlandthewardrobe]

Bound by H.A. Willis

~3/5 Stars⭐

Well....I'm gonna be brutally honest here, this one was a struggle. I was just SO bored. It took me several attempts to finish this book, and I can't even tell you why! The premise was interesting enough, a girl with an abusive childhood, who also happens to be an extremely powerful witch but doesn't know it, a harem filled with various supes, and a scheming council out to kill. But yet, it's like everything in the story was happening in slow motion. Callie's days felt long and never ending, and the guys' POVs weren't much better. The only one I felt a real connection to was Felix, and he's a ghost! If you've read any of my reviews before, you know that one of my biggest pet peeves in RH is when the guys all sound the same, and unfortunately that was the case here. I was genuinely convinced that Donovan and Connor were the same people until about 70% in🫤 I also kept forgetting that this was a PNR read??? It gives me more contemporary romance vibes. Blame it on the exceptionally long breaks I took while finishing this, but I would regularly forget that everyone in the story was some sort of supe? How do you read an ENTIRE book and forget that vampires, werewolves, witches, nephilim, and demons exist??? Beats me. Now, with all of that being said.....I genuinely enjoyed the last 30% of the book! Hilarious right? We went from watching Callie spend her days navigating high school, to suddenly trying to uncover this giant mystery surrounding her mother's death and the shady council. Long story short, would I read this again? Absolutely not. Am I going to read the next book? Yeah, probably🤷🏾‍♀️.

As always,

Happy Reading❤️

[the-bookshop]

Source.

[bookaddict24-7]

"One best book is equal to hundred good friends but one good friend is equal to a library."

Abdul Kalam

[thegirlandthewardrobe]

The Sons of Sacred Hill by Kira Roman

~4/5 Stars⭐

Note to self, never start the first book in a series if BOOK 2 is yet to have been released😭 Like what the actual hell. This book was genuinely so good??? And it has all my favorite tropes? Put me in the game coach! This is my first book by this author and honestly I might be a fan for life now. Y'all should by now that I love a good bully-verse book, especially one that has an inexperienced MMC,👩🏾‍🍳😘. This book gave me Harry Potter vibes, but like, if it was rated R. Alana is everything I could have ever wanted in a FMC. She's a magic wielding badass (at least in my eyes), who was dealt a a rather shitty hand in life. Her mom has spent her entire life strung out on drugs, and eventually kicks Alana and her younger sister AJ to the curb for some man. Alana is willing to do anything, and I mean anything y'all, to give AJ the life she deserves. Even if that means attending one of the bougiest and most prestigious magical colleges out there, or partaking in a lil light sex work. Enter 'The Sons of Sacred Hill', also known as Alana's former best friends/the loves of her life, who just so happen to be engaged to the university's biggest bitc.....I mean witches.....The boys, along with their loser fiancés, are determined to make Alana's life a living hell, as if they haven't been doing that for the past 2 years anyways🙄 Throw in 2 more hot as sin men and we've got ourselves a harem baby! As for the sons, honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about them? On one hand, I get it, but on the other.....THEY SUCK. Definitely not enough groveling IMO. Hence why I docked a star. There's nothing worse than watching our heroine's men torment and bully her for TWO YEARS, only to be forgiven after a near death experience and a half-hearted apology. I said what I said. As for the two NON-sacred hill sons, hot as ever. Absolutely love them. I like my men dark, brooding, and slightly unhinged, SUE ME. As for the spice, I'd give it a solid 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5. The story could have used a little more, but given the length (~270 pages), it makes sense. Which brings me to the other reason I docked a star, this story was just too short! Things took off right from the start and they never really slowed down, which is great, but towards the end things just started to feel a little rushed. The last 50 pages sort of felt like one big info/action dump, which I think could have easily been avoided by adding another 50 pages. Things end on a bit of cliffy, but honestly it could have been worse🤷🏾‍♀️My biggest issue is that THIS SERIES SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN. As in, are we sure we're still getting a book 2??? I need answers! But until then, you can find me crying in the corner of my room.

As always,

Happy Reading❤️

[thegirlandthewardrobe]

Desire in His Blood by Grace Draven

~5/5 Stars⭐

This was such an amazing read! When I say that I love Sci-Fi Romance, THIS is what I'm talking about😍 Questionable cover art aside (sorry, not a fan), this story was everything I had hope it would be. I've read a few other books by Grace Draven and adored them all as well, so I went into this one with high expectations, and this story blew every last one of them out the park! And if that wasn't enough, every trope I've ever loved is featured in this book. Enemies to lovers? Check☑️ Mildly inexperienced FMC? Check☑️ Vampires? Check☑️ Vampires with blood mate bonds? Check☑️ Marriage of Convience? Check☑️ Sign me on up! I'd like a one way ticket to Laras to live out the rest of my days with my Kylorr mate😩 Anyways, long story short, Gemma's dad is a MAJOR loser and spends his days blowing and borrowing money that her family no longer has. In a last ditch effort to save her sisters from a lifetime of debt, Gemma agrees to marry one of the richest men out there, Azur, the High Lord of Laras, who just so happens to be a Kylorr (the most terrifying race out there). As with any marriage of convenience, Gemma and Azur's days are filled building sexual tension, that neither of them seem to know how to handle. Azur just might make it into my Book Boyfriend Hall of Fame! Y'all should know by now that if there's one thing I love, it's alien/monster men. ESPECIALLY, the moody ones😏Throw in a few threats of a Kylorrian war and some top tier spice, and you've got a solid, steamy, sci-fi read🫶🏾 On to book #2!

As always,

Happy Reading❤️