Beth’s Bookshelf > Recent Status Updates

Just started today, and it’s a pretty sweet story so far. I love the quirks of the different guests and that of the inn, grumpiness of Auntie Zee, the sweet albeit anxiety-riddled Jack, and heartbroken-yet-hopeful Calisa. Som times it can get a little syrupy sweet (aside from the delicious pancake recipe within), but charming nonetheless.

The pieces are finally clicking into place and people are ready to do something! Let’s go! 😎

As I visit my dad and we have some reading time together, I got a recommendation for a title by the same author. Apparently this book used to be titled, “A Touch of Poison” which released in 2024? Apparently “A Verdant Cage” is a revised edition of that book. As I continue to get sucked into this story, I really want to check out the original text now as well, and see what is similar/different this time. :)

This YA novel focuses on an apothecary named Rose, and that of the murder of her mother-on the day she is arranged to be married-in the cult-like village of Noah’s Valley. Surrounded by a wall sworn to protect their village, her brother Jonas discovers the true secret to their existence before being “harvested” beyond the wall after being accused of their mother’s murder. I’m placing this at a 5/5 so far!

This is a pretty dark book, but I can’t stop! I need know more! I also need to know that Tessa will seriously kick Theon and his family’s a**es by the end of this book.

I don’t know how to feel about this book yet. I’m almost halfway through, and there’s very little world-building beyond what’s narrated to you in bits and pieces, and other than drama/banter the plot kind of plateaued after the first chapter which was intense, but SOLID. There’s a heavy focus on the romance which I get, but where is the rest? That’s what I’m waiting on.

A little repetitive, and sometimes a little too fantastical in stark contrast with a more contemporary romance tone, but so far it is a very sweet and cozy book. The only complaint I have is that their fake relationship was basically never really a fake relationship, and if that’s the trope they roll with, I wish it could’ve leaned into it more vs. guaranteeing them together so quickly. Overall I enjoy it though!

This book is dark. Like really dark. If that’s not your vibe, I’ll just give the heads up on that now. My main and only complaint so far, however, is that it took 50 pages for the story to progress beyond the introduction. There’s an overwhelming amount of terminology/world building that might discourage some readers. It is good, just a LOT of pretext thrown at you from the get go.

“You are a reminder of all that I am missing, all that I long to have again, and all that I stand to lose. I want to have you by my side. I do not want to be alone anymore. I cannot deny it anymore.” Chapter 16, Page 300 😭❤️

So happy to find this book early! Damn the ADHD/trauma response hits hard though. Also this author wasted no time getting these characters together. 🥲❤️

Now it feels like a VERY dystopian read. If they do a “three years later” kind of HEA, I’m gonna be a little sad though 😭

I love Tuck. He’s messed up in his past, but he genuinely is trying to make amends any way he can. Emily on the other hand? Awful right now. I kind of liked her a little bit more at the beginning than I do at this point. She’s entitled, knows she sold out (despite doing nothing to stop it for the sake of her career) and believed Charlie over Tuck at critical moment where she had no right to doubt him. 😞

This book is a markedly different read from the last lol. You really get invested in the characters pretty early on, and the pacing is definitely picking up now. Also, I have never wanted a fictional cat and dog to exist in real life so badly 😍

Well, when I was recommended this book months ago, I was told I would love it because of it similar to Serpent With the Wings of Night, and From Blood and Ash, but I did NOT expect this pretty sprayed edge book to be, well, world-building based around spicy concepts, and spicy scenes at about every 2-3 pages, but ah well.🥲Caspen is the worst, Leo deserves better, and Tem should just stay single for a bit.

I absolutely love the FMC. She has all the confidence anyone could hope for when traveling as a lone female, and I love how she doesn’t let fear rule her thoughts. That’s a lesson we all could use more of. ❤️

Finally!!! Also, ugh Niko. Enough with your self-deprecating bs about “ShE’s ToO gOoD fOr Me” and just BE with her. She’s not a delicate flower, and you two have been together your whole lives practically. She can handle herself! Ugh. 😩

Besides being a little hookup focused right now, the town is cute, and the characters are all lovable. I love how the other firemen are just as into gossip as Vivian’s sister in terms of her awful ex though. 😂

**Spoilers ahead!**








🤯 Somehow I KNEW IT! But there are still so many questions like how did Ozias get away? Why was Cosmo’s room ransacked? Why does Cosmo get sus feelings about him? Is he perhaps in league with Janus? Does he have powers of his own yet to be revealed or better yet was he the one actually going after Cosmo and Krupa’ powers for his own? I guess we shall see!

Let’s. Freaking. Goooo! 👏 and that’s great is how it is done! A masterpiece. A renaissance painting with a side of *chef’s kiss*.

I just want them to be happy again 😭

I slept on this for way too long, but devoured 100 pages of these in a few hours and despite non-fantasy romance, I am having a blast reading this! The main character is basically me in a nutshell down to her stationary quirks, and “goblin” tendencies, and while after the first interaction I doubted how the MC could turn things around, but I actually am rooting for them both! 🥰