Vampires At See by Lindsay Merbaum

Husband and wife, they join a queer cruise in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Isn’t that a promising premise? Then consider what they are, and imagine the rest… but, no—not quite what you'd expect.

If it weren’t for the title, it would be difficult to know who’s narrating at first and what they are—a different type of vampires that felt kind of refreshing.

It was difficult for me to start, but then the story suddenly picks up. I don’t think I am the right audience for this book, as it’s almost a constant string of sex scenes, with some mystery about a third party who enters their open relationship, and turns out not to be what they seem to be.

For the right readers, I feel it will be ecstatic, provocative, and amusing.

Many thanks to both Creature Publishing and NetGalley  for the ARC, provided in exchange for my honest and personal review.

Publication date: Oct 07 2025

Publisher: Creature Publishing

Rating: 🟊🟊⯪☆☆

Dominion by Addie E. Citchens

A Black Southern family drama that deals as much in tenderness and humor as it does in brutality, Addie E. Citchens’s Dominion reveals the many sinister ways in which we are shaped by fear and patriarchy.

As I started reading, I quickly realised the synopsis did not do it justice — it was not what I expected. And how happy I was to uncover its twists and turns.

This is a fast, compelling and engaging read, cleverly written from the POV of two women, each with her own authentic voice.

Set in a small town in southern Minessota called Dominion, the story follows a family led by a Reverend highly respected by the community, his wife and their five grown-up children—all independent, except for one: Wonderboy, a 17-year-old angel who still lives with his parents.

On the other hand, there’s Diamond, a poor 17-year-old girl who lives with her adoptive mother. Rejected by her birth mother and separated from her siblings, she had endured a hard life—until she finally finds love with Wonderboy.

Same community, same church, yet two different worlds apart divided of money, respect and appearances. Appearances that will soon turn their lives upside down.

I truly admire how the story evolves from blindness to realisation. Two women—one young one older—finding their way through the structures of patriarchy.  

The ending was unexpected and satisfying. However, I would have liked that the character's change of heart that led to it, was developed a little further, it felt rushed.

I found the wordplay between the town’s name and the concept of patriarchal male dominance to be quite clever.

For a debut novel, congratulations—I look forward to seeing what more she will share with the world.

Dominion 

Publication date: Aug 19, 2025

Editorial: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Interesting quote or description: 
“That was so forever ago; a tune snuck into my mind, a bit about time slipping, slipping into the future.”

Expected for Aug 19 2025, this is a honest personal opinion. I’d like to thank Farrar Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for this post.

Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊⯪ 

The Little Island Flower Stall by Tilly Tennant

I loved this story! The perfect “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” kind of feel-good page-turner.

Bella discovers that her husband of 15 years is a *** cheater and decides to leave him for good. This is her journey to self-discovery, and you’ll find yourself rooting for her heart and soul to heal. 

At the same time, her 93-year-old great-aunt suffers an injury and needs help keeping her seaside flower stall running, so Bella jumps at the opportunity and visits her, rediscovering her childhood memories on the British island of Jersey. With the life-wisdom and loving support of her great-aunt, Bella finds herself standing tall very soon–holding her head high, as it should be.

I loved the historic background and discovering the island’s fight to defeat the Nazis that invaded their land. It adds to the typical rom-com and wraps it in a light mystery that I was completely grateful for. I must say that I like learning something new from each book I read, and this tale delivered.

I also enjoyed Bella’s internal struggle about her situation, and although she jumps straight into this new relationship with a complete stranger, it feels fluid, and she does it with some sense.

The love interest’s plot itself is quite original, although predictable; however, it’s cozy and mysterious, that ends in a moving way, full of heart.

Broken de Evelyn Miller

Sí, admito que me dejé engañar por un anuncio de Instagram, que me descargué una aplicación llamada Galatea y acabé llevándome la decepción de que la escena que se anunciaba no aparece en el libro, sí, lo admito. No me fustiguéis. A veces la novela romántica también tiene su huequecito en mi ocio.

A partir de ahí, debo decir que la escritura es pobre, muy centrada en acciones como si de una película se tratase, entretejidas con los pensamientos de la protagonista, una adolencente con el ego por los suelos. En cambio, a nivel narrativo no hay detalles interesantes.

Como historia de adolescentes pubertos engancha porque es lo que vende, pero aparte de la trama de la pareja principal, el resto es muy surrealista. La verdad es que no tenía ninguna, pero ahora tengo menos, nostalgia de volver a estas edades... 

Además, vi un comentario en Goodreads que ponía en entredicho la autoría de este relato, preguntando si podría haber sido generado por una IA. La verdad es que plantó la semilla de la duda en mí y desde aquel momento, lo leí con otra perspectiva. No voy a discutir sobre la autoría en sí, en ocasiones, parece generado por IA y en otras hay tales fallos que, a mi parecer, no es posible que los crease una máquina, aunque ya sabemos que la IA no es perfecta.

No obstante, esta lectura sí me da pie a poder realizar algunos comentarios acerca de dos temas: la IA en sí y la aplicación Galatea.

Aunque soy defensora del uso de la IA como una herramienta, es decir, como ayuda correctora, como fuente de información e incluso quizás como fuente de inspiración puntual, no doy el brazo a torcer con el hecho de crear contenido con ella.

Para mí, esto constituye una falta de respeto hacia las personas escritoras, y adicionalmente, un insulto al público lector. La literatura es un arte, un acto de creación y, por tanto, algo humano que conecta la mano que escribe con la mente que lo imagina y hace la historia suya; es una unión especial que, por el simple hecho de hacer billetes, ninguna editorial ni aplicación debería intentar reemplazar.

Sobre la app en sí: te permite leer los primeros capítulos y cuando ya te ha enganchado, tienes que esperar 6 horas para desbloquear el siguiente. Según lees, vas acumulando puntos y con ellos puedes desbloquear más capítulos o esperar el tiempo correspondiente para poder continuar leyendo. El método es lento, pero siempre tienes la opción de pagar para avanzar más rápido. 

Lo que no sé es si este dinero después llega a la autoría o se lo queda mayormente la aplicación. No he conseguido mucha información al respecto. He visto algún comentario que indica que pagan excesivamente poco; al parecer, es una editorial que pone a disposición de escritores/as esta plataforma, donde poder subir su historia y, si tiene éxito, entonces les pueden seleccionar para publicar un libro.

Según he podido averiguar (con solo este único ejemplo, debo dejarlo claro de antemano) es una es una plataforma tipo Wattpad o similares; no obstante, mi experiencia (hace mil siglos) con Wattpad fue que las personas autoras iban subiendo capítulos según los escribían y podían tardar más o menos, o nunca llegarlos a terminar. He visto algún comentario online que aquí también puede pasar, pero me da la impresión de que las historias están terminadas para cuando las suben. Lo que me echa para atrás son las portadas, que parecen generadas por IA, lo que ayudó a pensar que había gato encerrado y que las propias historias pudieran ser también artificiales.

¿Qué opináis?

Puntuación: 2/5*

The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Phifer

This is a story about Dora, a florist who lives in London with her only family, her aunt Lenny. One day, a creepy guy called George appears in her shop and raises all kinds of red flags for her aunt, who convinces Dora to go visit Salem.

There she finds not only that they are witches, but that she has two more family members, a beloved pet and a long-lost love.

With their help, she embarks on a voyage of self-discovery and the process of learning about her blocked magic powers. She has to do it fast in order to recover the book that will save them from a curse to relive their lives over and over, hunted by the witch-hunter, George Corwin.

I highly enjoyed the story, it is very entertaining and fun in the right places.

There are flashbacks to tell the story about their several past lives, but they are not the typical flashback chapters, instead appearing as passages where the main character regains her memory. I found it very original and beautifully accomplished.

However, just as an improvement, I found that the learning process could have been more meaningful. With time being of the essence, everything goes kind of smoothly—or let’s say, too smoothly. I would have liked her to struggle a bit more. She achieved everything important she set out to do on the first attempt.

Furthermore, I would have liked the bookstore to have more weight or presence, almost like another character. I found myself a little (just a little) disappointed by the title (maybe I like bookstores slightly too much, and that’s the reason!).

Overall, it was a beautiful and entertaining read. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories filled with magic, self-discovery, and a touch of romance.

Las ranas también se enamoran de Megan Maxwell

Como no me siento muy cómoda infravalorando el trabajo de otras personas, me he propuesto releer esta novela de Megan Maxwell, ya que recuerdo que la leí en su día, en una fase que tuve de romcom picantillas, y me gustó más.

En "Las ranas también se enamoran", Marta, madre de una adolescente en edad del pavo, y sus dos mejores amigos, Adrián y Patricia, trabajan en una empresa de confección de trajes de sevillana. Desde el inicio están mejor logradas tanto la pasión sobre el trabajo como la urgencia de sacar el trabajo adelante para el inminente desfile de presentación de su nueva colección. 

Esto les embarca en un viaje a Sevilla donde tendrá un encontronazo al puro estilo “I hate you” con el que sabemos que será su interés sexual y romántico durante el resto de la novela.

En lugar de tener un antagonista en forma de “ex” capullo (que lo hay), en este caso me ha gustado que lo sea la persona cuya opinión más le pueda afectar (no menciono por no hacer spoiler) pero los altibajos de esa relación, sobre todo en la segunda mitad, son los que le da a esta novela ese toque de tensión que le dan mil vueltas a la primera parte de “te conozco, te odio -> te deseo”. Tiene bastantes toques muy graciosos que te sacan una sonrisa y hasta una risotada.

Por otro lado, añadir que solo me he leído dos novelas de esta mujer, pero el final con el que “engancha” al hombre de sus sueños es el mismo. Es un tema que me echa bastante para atrás, ya lo indiqué en la anterior reseña y reafirmo que no es un argumento que me apasione como final feliz. Si la habéis leído y sabéis a lo que me refiero, dejad un comentario y mencionad qué os parece. Si sois fans de Maxwell y habéis leído otras novelas, os agradecería que me dijerais por cuál podría continuar (siempre que no tengan el mismo final, ¡por favor!).

Fecha de primera publicación: 12 septiembre 2011

Editorial: Ediciones Versátil

Sigo pensando que no es una gran prosa literaria, pero al menos es entretenida.

Puntuación: 3/5*

Casi una novela de Megan Maxwell

Habiendo leído alguna que otra novela anterior de esta escritora y con el boom de la saga que tiene ahora en cartelera, me he animado a leer esta novela (más que nada porque era cortita).

Una vez empezado, lo primero que intenté averiguar fue si era una novela de sus inicios y creo que, aunque publicada en 2013, es anterior a esta fecha.

No es una prosa especialmente impactante, aunque la prota es agradable y la relación con su interés masculino no es enteramente tóxica. Eso sí, los personajes del entorno son estereotipazos que no me han hecho ninguna gracia. Creo que ha intentado meter con calzador demasiados temas, sin profundizar en ellos lo suficiente como cada temática se merece (el maltrato, por ejemplo).

Los saltos en el tiempo me parecen excesivos y en ocasiones hay capítulos intermedios que no aportan gran cosa, avanzando el tiempo pero no la historia. 

Sí me ha gustazo la relación entre los hermanos. Es de agradecer también que los capítulos sean de distinta logitud, le da cierta vida, acortando esos capítulos mencionados antes que no son más que pistas para avanzar la línea temporal pero que no aportan más.

En general, como es cortita, pues la he terminado, pero eso, que se queda en el casi.

Fecha de primera publicación: 21 enero 2013

Editorial: Planeta

Puntuación: 2/5*

The Marriage Gap Year by Yannick Thoraval

Looking at the title and cover, I expected one of these two things:

- Option One: a hilarious ride for the female character, escaping the "marriage prison" and discovering friends and life, flirting, changing jobs, etc.

- Option Two: a meaningful journey towards self-discovery, about the yearning for the idea of the freedom of single life and, once having tasted it, wanting to return to the comfort of marriage.

I started reading it, excited about the main idea and the laughs that would come, as the story mixes a bit of both; but the result was a little bit on the disappointing side. 

The husband, Rob, is described as a loving but dull alcoholic, skilled in his job but lacking a high level of education (I don't know why *that* was so important). The wife, Emma, is described as a college-educated woman stuck in life: a job in the wrong company, boring marriage, lack of sex and a kid leaving for college.

The result of it is Emma asking Rob for a year without any contact in order to rediscover herself, her needs and what she wants in life.

Their year is quite different for each of them:

Rob is handed a beautiful construction project surrounded by capable women, as an analogy to his frustrated marriage, and has to navigate the ways to work alongside these young colleagues and their new views on work and life. During this time, he grows in depth and develops a self-consciousness that is quite enjoyable. There is quite a lot of solitude, so we spend long periods in his head, understanding his actions, backstory, motivations and problems.

Emma, on the other hand, finds a place to live in the centre and goes out with her younger colleagues. She flirts with a guy, and yes, she sticks with this first younger man she encounters after "leaving a marriage where she felt stuck". I found it kind of depressing. And disappointing. In addition, she reconnects with her college friend, Kendry, who stays single and free, but has her own problems. Emma soon discovers that this freedom is not "for free".

What I appreciated:

First, I enjoyed the portrait of Melbourne, I went back to sweet memories of the city and found myself promenading and gazing again at the sight of crystal skyscrapers on both sides of the Yarra River.

There are a couple of scenes that I found funny, one with Emma and Erik at his house, and some with Rob and Sareena, who is the most likable character in the whole thing. She pushes Rob and explains things in a way he understands; in the end, she is the one who helps him evolve into a less old-fashioned, providing macho role.

I also enjoyed the generational clash Emma has to struggle with. Her 48-year-old woman's lifestyle and ideals against the late-Millennial/GenZ's.

I liked that Emma was not right about everything: she pushes her son into college and he soon discovers that it's not for him, she doesn't understand nor supports this, but Rob does. However, I found it satisfying that she doesn't give up and goes back to the marriage at the end, although things don't go well for her outside of it. 

I didn't enjoy that she had everything handed to her, though. She listens to a podcast, then she starts running but doesn't follow, she asks for interviews and does not prepare for them, she wants to enjoy life, but she seems to rely heavily on others for direction—what does she do the rest of her time?

Also, even though there are chapter separations as the seasons pass, I found it hard to know how much time passed between one scene and the other: days? Weeks? Months? There was no indication and I felt lost many times.

However, I must say that all the good vibes were quite short and not deepened enough, so they were not enough altogether to be a completely enjoyable experience.

 Thank you #Netgally for the opportunity of reading this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Puntuación: 2.5/5