My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
I’ve only read one book by these authors so far but this one is the one I’ve wanted to read the most. I find Mary Shelley so fascinating and with the new Frankenstein film coming out later this year, this was an instant buy from me. I already know these aren’t completely factually or historically accurate but I quite enjoy the liberties they take.
This could be a really great October read, if I remember to pick it up around then. I have a lot of witchy books I’ve been saving for October reviews.
Synopsis: Mary may have inherited the brilliant mind of her late mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, but she lives a drab life above her father’s bookstore, waiting for an extraordinary idea that’ll inspire a work worthy of her parentage–and impress her rakishly handsome (and super-secret) beau, Percy Shelley.
Ada Lovelace knows a thing or two about superstar parents, what with her dad being Lord Byron, the most famous poet on Earth. But her passions lie far beyond the arts–in mechanical engineering, to be exact. Alas, no matter how precise Ada’s calculations, there’s always a man willing to claim her ingenious ideas as his own.
Pan, a.k.a. Practical Automaton Number One, is Ada’s greatest idea a machine that will change the world, if only she can figure out how to make him truly autonomous . . . or how to make him work at all.
When fate connects our two masterminds, Mary and Ada learn that they are fae–magical people with the ability to make whatever they imagine become real. But when their dream team results in a living, breathing, thinking PAN, Mary and Ada find themselves hunted by a mad scientist who won’t stop until he finds out how they made a real boy out of spare parts.
When in Rome by Sarah Adams
I LOVE Sarah Adams. I’ve read two of her books now and I’ve rated them both quite highly. I’ve actually read the second book in this ‘series’ already and that was a massive five stars from me. I loved every single page and it’s a book I think about quite often.
Obviously, I already know how this will end but everyone knows the couple mentioned in the synopsis will get together by the end of the book, that’s how contemporary romances work. I also already know that I love this couple and I can’t wait to get little cameos from the characters in the second book.
Synopsis: Rome is where the heart is.
Amelia Rose is burned-out from years of maintaining her public image as pop princess Rae Rose. Inspired by her favourite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.
Running the pie shop his grandmother left him, Noah Walker is busy enough as it is. But after finding Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he decides to let her stay in his guest room – on a very temporary basis, of course.
As the two of them grow closer, Noah starts to see a new side to Amelia – kind-hearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. Amelia may have to go back to her other life someday, but for now she’s perfectly happy falling in love with the cozy small town she’s found herself in . . . and her grumpy tour guide isn’t half-bad either.
Heartbreaker by Anika Hussain
As soon as I saw this described as ‘To All the Boy I’ve Loved Before meets John Tucker Must Die’ I bought it. John Tucker Must Die is one of my absolute favourite films of all time. It probably wouldn’t be made today, but it’s very nostalgic and comforting for me so to see a book that has those vibes is great.
I actually think I’ll check this out pretty soon. It has less than 300 pages which is perfect for me at this time of year when I know I have a lot of ARCs coming up. Plus, contemporaries are generally quicker reads for me and I’ve definitely shifted more towards the genre in recent years.
Synopsis: He broke her best friend’s heart. Now saachi plans to break his.
May the best heartbreaker win…
Saachi would do anything for her best friend. So when school bad boy Fahim breaks Mona’s heart, Saachi is hellbent on getting revenge. It’s time to put him in his place once and for all.
And so begins Operation Saachi will make Fahim fall in love with her and then pull the plug on him – just like he does to every girl he’s ever dated. Simple.
Except as she spends more time with Fahim, against her better judgement, she finds herself falling for him. Unable to talk to Mona about her mixed emotions, and with the mission veering dangerously off course, Saachi will have to embrace her role as a heartbreaker or potentially end up with her own heart broken…
Orphia and Eurydicius by Elyse John
We all know I love a retelling, especially Greek mythologies, and this one is gender-bent which is just *chef’s kiss*. I thought this sounded so interesting. I’m not completely clued up on the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, but I know enough to think I’ll enjoy this. So I’m pretty excited to check this out. However, when I went to grab the synopsis from Goodreads I saw that it actually doesn’t have great reviews. I feel like it’s quite rare for a Greek mythology retelling to have a rating of less than 3.5, but hey, I don’t base my opinions on what other people think.
Synopsis: Their love transcends every boundary. Can it cheat death?
Orphia dreams of something more than the warrior crafts she’s been forced to learn. Hidden away on a far-flung island, her blood sings with poetry and her words can move flowers to bloom and forests to grow … but her father, the sun god Apollo, has forbidden her this art.
A chance meeting with a young shield-maker, Eurydicius, gives her the courage to use her voice. After wielding all her gifts to defeat one final champion, Orphia draws the scrutiny of the gods. Performing her poetry, she wins the protection of the goddesses of the the powerful Muses, who welcome her to their sanctuary on Mount Parnassus. Orphia learns to hone her talents, crafting words of magic infused with history, love and tragedy.
When Eurydicius joins her, Orphia struggles with her desire for fame and her budding love. As her bond with the gentle shield-maker grows, she joins the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece. Facing dragons, sirens and ruthless warriors on the voyage, Orphia earns unparalleled fame, but she longs to return to Eurydicius.
Yet she has a darker journey to make – one which will see her fight for her love with all the power of her poetry.
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Like this post? Why not read this one too: To Be Read: July 2025
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