Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Lore of the Wilds has been a much buzzed about fantasy from the time the cover dropped last year. There's so few books in traditional publishing with Black Fae so that alone made me want to pick this up. I received a finished copy from Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. If you want to know my full thoughts on this book keep reading.

When tragedy strikes her village Lore, a human living in a world of fae surrenders herself and is taken to Wyndlin Castle, where she is instructed to organize books by dark fae Lord Syrelle in his library. Soon after Lore makes her escape with Asher, one of the fae guards in tow. A long the way they get help from his companions and she later bonds with another fae named Finn.

Lore of the Wilds starts off with promise although the very fast pacing at the onset is a challenge along with very choppy sentences and cliche ridden dialogue. The book then comes to a standstill with glacial pacing to incorporate cozy elements such as the library and many many market outings. I found myself confused about the direction the book was going in. Lore doesn't get much development as a character and what we're told about her backstory contradicts how she is presented. She also reads more like a young teen venturing on her own for the first time rather than a woman in her 20s who has been on her own surviving for quite some time. This was not helped by her acting like a giddy school girl experiencing her first crush around love interest Asher.

This is a book that would have benefited from more developmental edits as it's unclear what type of fantasy it's trying to be. There were modern elements better suited for urban fantasy that took me as a reader out of the enchanted forest setting multiple times. This included Lore's obsession with coffee, leggings, romantasy books, and curly hair creams. Despite describing itself as cozy Lore mentions humans are often captured to be concubines and forcibly breed hybrids by the fae but despite being capture this is never a real threat for Lore, herself. At one point well past the halfway mark of the book Lore realizes she knows absolutely nothing about her fae companion's magic and has yet to see a glimpse of it. The same can be said by readers who are told nothing about the magic of this world at this point. I was confused multiple times while reading as it breezed through some sections and languished in others.

Some of Lore of the Wild's sins could've been forgiven if the romance was better developed. Despite marketing itself as a romantasy and having two potential love interests neither relationship was particularly developed. She's also unable to incorporate them into the book at the same time. There's one spicy scene in the story but it feels unearned. 

Squad Goals by Erika J. Kendrick

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I've been meaning to get to Squad Goals for some time now. And since I'm looking for more middle grade for my niece I've been reading different books to find books to suit her taste. Right now she's been leaning more into the horror, paranormal, spooky stuff but she also is a big sports kid. So I got 3 new library cards recently and one of my libraries alerted me that Squad Goals was ready to read so I jumped on it. If you're interested in it keep reading to hear my thoughts.

Magic Olive Pointdexter comes from a long line of cheerleaders and a father who was an NBA legend. So there's a lot of pressure on her to be a star. Cheerleading isn't something she's as passionate about as her sister, mother, and granny before her but she still wants to make the squad to make them proud. But in order to make the squad she has to go through cheer camp where only the best of the best end up making the final cut. Magic doesn't fit the stereotypical look of a cheerleader and there's some friction with one of the head cheerleaders when one of the football boys seems to be interested in her. She's going to have to work hard to get a position on the squad.

Squad Goals is the kind of middle grade I enjoy. It's the kind where they feel like real middle schoolers dealing with relatable middle school problems like mean girls and first crushes. Do most middle school cheerleading squads operate like larger competitive ones? Would Magic stand a chance without a dance or gymnastics background? No, probably not but I'm sure the middle grade readers won't have too much trouble suspending belief here. Author Erika J. Kendrick is a former cheerleader herself and I could tell by how that aspect was written.

I can't think of many middle grade books about girls in sports off the top of my head. And that pool becomes much smaller when I think about books with Black girls as the lead. This was the only one I could think of where I've seen a Black cheerleader portrayed on the cover. 

Some of the things dealt with in this book include not having the ideal body type, mean girls, new friends, and first crushes. Readers watch Magic develop and grow more confident in her abilities and start to fall in love with cheer. We also see her make new friends and deal with a fallout with her one long term bestie. The situations Magic and friends go through at cheer camp felt very realistic to middle school and the book was engaging. There's just enough drama and funny moments to keep readers engaged.

Interview with Author Letisha Marrero

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I read Salsa Magic in December of 2023 and I was impressed by the voice of the main character Maya so much so I had to do my research on the author of this strong debut. Then I decided I needed to feature Letisha Marrero on here so even if you haven't read Salsa Magic yet keep reading. And you can get the book here. 

You’ve written about various topics  from entertainment to parenting across various publications such as Latina Magazine, Vibe, TV One, and NBC among others. What made you decide to get into writing?

Honestly? I’ve been writing since I was five years old. But no one told me I could make a career out of it. Back then, writing was only considered a hobby. When I got to college, and I was failing my business classes, I ended up majoring in communications. Only then did I discover the different ways I could be a writer. A few years after graduating, after a failed attempt at breaking into Hollywood as a screenwriter, I moved to New York City, where all my family was. My first job was as an administrative assistant to the president of a well-known PR firm, where I learned the other side of the media business. Then I switched to working for several magazines. As a freelancer, I also became a copyeditor to pay the bills in between writing assignments. A few years later, the internet came out and changed everything. It was either evolve or die. It’s sad to me that magazines are a dying breed, but fortunately, I was able to pivot to digital, writing and editing for various websites. I’m now the editorial director at a nonprofit in DC. It’s been a wild ride for me to get to this point.

As an entertainment journalist, which celebrity interview was your favorite?

Because of my time living in L.A., I’m usually pretty nonplussed by meeting and interviewing celebrities. I met Beyoncé in the studio right as she was starting her solo career. I’ve traveled to Brazil with Pharrell. I went to Atlanta to interview Big Boi of OutKast. Celebrities really are just regular people, just with some fame attached to them that makes them both quirky and privileged. But interviewing the legend Rita Moreno and the late, great Celia Cruz were probably the biggest highlights of my journalistic career. I pay homage to both of them in Salsa Magic.

What is your writing routine like?

I wish I had one! I’m a working mom, so I write when I can and/or when the spirit moves me. I have to get the words on the page before they leave my mind.. Deadlines are probably my biggest motivator though.

As an older first time novelist did you ever feel the pressure to set a timeline for when you wanted to publish?

To be honest, I wasn’t sure it would ever happen for me. In my 30s, I was at the height of my career as an entertainment journalist, I landed a book deal with a major publisher. That initiated the first drafts of Salsa Magic…but then the deal fell apart. I was so dejected and disappointed that I put everything, including Salsa Magic, on the shelf. Then life got in the way–lots of ups and downs. But 20 years later, here I am. So, everything in time. 

What inspired you to write Salsa Magic?

When Harry Potter first came out in 1997, I was helping take care of my younger cousins. They were obsessed. The series quickly became the zeitgeist. I was intrigued by how enraptured they were by this kind of storytelling. So I asked myself, “What if Harry Potter was a Latina?” That was the impetus and inspiration of Maya. Fast forward to 2005, when I became a mom. I started reading children’s books aloud to my kid and paid attention to what sparked his attention. Then, when he got old enough, he too became obsessed with Harry Potter. I searched and searched for strong Black and Latino main characters for my kid to experience, and still there was nothing. That’s when I determined that a void needed to be filled. That inspired me to dust off my manuscript.

Many people have their perceptions of Santeria without actually knowing what Santeria is. What made you decide to challenge their perception? And what was your research process like? 

I learned about santeria after reading a book called The Altar of My Soul. After reading about santeria and the orishas, and the whole pantheon of gods and goddesses, just like Greek and Roman, which I loved as a kid, I asked myself, “Why doesn’t anyone know about this?” So I approached the subject as a journalist and did all kinds of research–more books, newspaper articles, personal blogs, all that. Since I don’t practice santeria, I wanted to be respectful of the religion above all else, so I was measured in how much detail I would go into.

Tell us more about the role food plays in this story.

In Salsa Magic, Cafe Taza is the heartbeat of the Montenegro Calderon family, where much of the action takes place–and the food is almost its own character. We Puerto Ricans take our food very seriously! I wanted other people to know about these simple delicacies. The flavors are really intoxicating–and cast their own spell when it’s being prepared. The title reference to “salsa” is a double entendre: the spicy mixture of rich sounds that make up salsa music and the ingredients that blend together to create a savory sauce.

What’s the most important message you want young readers to take from the story? 

I have always wanted to read about or see a character who I could relate to and never found one as a kid. Nor could I find one for my own kid, decades later. So I wanted Latinos, especially Afro Latinos, to finally feel seen. I also want non-Latinos to learn about a culture different from their own, yet still have it feel so familiar to their own experiences–because family, and the beautiful mess that comes with it, is universal. The Spanglish is written so that those who get it, get it. And if you don’t, you’ll either get it in context, or you can look it up. There’s some history of the Spanish colonizers and the Triangle Trade System in there too. I always throw in a little bit of teaching in my writing. One way or another, you're gonna walk away learning something!

What was the most surprising part of your publication journey?

The amount of revisions! Silly me, I thought I had a final version when I sold it–I’d worked so hard on it with my agent–only to find out my editors had notes on how to make it better. It was a grueling process that went on for what seemed like forever, but in the end, I am so grateful to have had their guidance. Honestly, the book is so much better because of it–my editors pushed me to levels I didn’t know I could reach.  

If you could visit any place associated with your favorite author or novel, where would you visit?

What a fun question! If I could plan a fantasy visit, I’d go to the Dominican Republic with Julia Alvarez as my guide. I only learned I was part Dominican in my 30s, and I’ve never been to the island, so I’d love to explore and get in touch with my roots there. Who knows? Maybe I’d even find some family members! Somebody make that happen–I would enter another dimension.

Do you have any new projects coming up? And if so are you able to talk about them?

I’ve been kicking around and jotting down some ideas for Book Two, but they’re only half-baked. I promise you, though, it will never take another 20 years to write this one!

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I've always had a fascination with space. I visited the Kennedy Space Center 2 years ago right before the Artemis 1 launch and I followed Victor Glover's updates from the international space station. So I was ready to see an astronaut love interest in a romance. Etta Easton reached out to me and asked if I wanted an arc of The Kiss Countdown so keep reading to hear my honest review.

Amerie "Mimi" Price has started a new event planning business after an incident with a client got her fired from her previous company and it's been a rough start. The rent for her apartment is increasing and her mother's medical bills are piling up. One day at her favorite coffee shop she runs into her ex who is there with his new woman and she convinces a handsome stranger to pretend to be her new boyfriend. The handsome stranger, Astronaut Vincent Rogers is convinces her to keep up the ruse and pretend to be his girlfriend to keep his concerned mother off his back as he prepares for his mission to the moon.

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this one with the coffee spilling meet cute. A lot of fake dating romances lately have felt forced like the author was just determined to use the trope whether it made sense or not. So it was nice to see one that felt believable enough because they both had something to gain. The romance between them is slow burn but never boring. Vincent and Amerie deal with living together and grow closer as they spend time with his family. But at the same time Amerie has trouble feeling safe and secure because her mother's chronic illness is always on her mind and trying to rebuild her career. We don't get Vincent's pov here but his loveable nerdiness shines through but it's also easy to feel for him and his relationship with his family. 

Despite featuring some very real issues this book doesn't feel heavy or emotionally draining. The romance never takes a backseat to the other plots and Etta Easton does a great job incorporating depth but still keeping this light-hearted and fun. 

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I've been in the community for a few years now and it's still exciting to me when I see book release by friends I've made. This was my first time reading The Poisons We Drink in any form and I wanted to give my honest opinion. I received an arc from Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. If you're interested in a copy you can purchase it here. 

The Poisons We Drink follows Venus, an 18 yr old witcher, who has been brewing illegal love potions to help support her family. The country is currently dived and there is a bill that has been proposed that will be detrimental to magic users. After losing her mother Venus vows to keep her younger sister safe and get revenge. Venus has deviation which allows her to tap into immense power. She uses these powers to brew potions that will poison some of DC's most influential politicians.

It took some time for me to connect to the story and it didn't fully capture my attention until around the 40% mark. That was when the action really kicked it up a notch for me and I was interested in seeing Venus kick ass and take names. Despite it taking longer for me to get into I will note that the book consistently moved at a fast pace so the beginning wasn't a drag. So much was happening and we were getting an introduction to the society of witchers but also learning politics about both sides, it was just not easy for me to connect at first as I was processing the information. But when I did I found myself cheering Venus on because so rare is it where I pick up a fantasy that promises me a fierce heroine and delivers!

One of the things that really shone in this book and made it stand out from other YA fantasies was the focus on Venus' family. So often family is left out of these stories for teenage characters to take on the world by themselves. Venus has a strong family unit with her uncle, sister, and cousin especially doing their fair share of assisting her and were key to the big battle at the end.

I listened to this partially via audiobook and the narrator was phenomenal! There were one or two voices that didn't really fit the characters but she gave them all their own distinct voices. And she gave a very animated performance that really brought the story to life.