Author: Cristina (Girl in the Pages)

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton | ARC Review

Posted May 3, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I love when a historical fiction novel leaves me feeling both entertained and educated, and that is without a doubt the experience I get every time I pick up a Chanel Cleeton novel. Another sweeping tale set between Cuba and the United States, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is another standout from the Cuban-American author. Similarly to the structure of Cleeton’s previous novel, The Last Train to Key West, her newest installment rotates between three POVs of strong women who are each facing unique challenges either in Cuba or the US during the late 1800s when Cuba is fighting […]

Good Girl, Bad Blood (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #2) by Holly Jackson | Review

Posted April 26, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I absolutely adored A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. It was a YA thriller that fully leaned into the popularity of the true crime genre but didn’t sacrifice character building or writing quality for the sake of a shocking plot. The pacing was phenomenal, the mystery was brilliant, and I was honestly a little wary when I found out it was going to be a whole series because why mess with perfection? However, I can safely say that Good Girl, Bad Blood surprised me in a wonderful way and that Holly Jackson’s writing seems to be just improving with time. […]

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi | ARC Review

Posted April 19, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I’ve found that there’s something so incredibly raw and real about Mary H.K.Choi’s writing, and her novel Yolk is no exception. A tale of two sisters both trying to make their way in NYC, Yolk confronts the messy, indulgent, and self-destructive tendencies of the younger generation today in a world where a carefully crafted persona is oftentimes prioritized over well being and relationships, and the extreme loneliness and sadness that lives beneath that lifestyle. Protagonist Jayne was honestly hard to read at times. She’s messy, selfish and materialistic, but also so desperately eager for attention and affection that its honestly […]

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout | Review

Posted March 29, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

You know when you read a book that reminds you how much you love reading? Restores you faith in a genre? Makes you wonder why you ever engage in hobbies outside of books? Well, From Blood and Ash was all of the above for me, and believe me when I say I am shocked by how much I enjoyed it. I really struggled though the first half of the book. It felt generic, uninspired, and I just didn’t get why everyone compared it to ACOTAR (which is my fave fantasy series). Yet about 50%-60% into the novel it really picked […]

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer | Review

Posted March 22, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

This was pretty good! I go back and forth on how much I enjoy this series- at times I really do and at others it doesn’t feel like anything that special- but I really flew through this book! It actually focused much less on Harper (the protagonist from book 1) and much more on the relationship between Rhen and Grey (I love a good brother story- hence my love for the Salvatores in The Vampire Diaries). They had a LOT to figure out after the last book and I think the slow reparation of their relationship was well done and […]

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano | Review

Posted March 15, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I am new to the “cozy mystery” genre, and to be completely honest didn’t even realize this was a cozy mystery when I started it (at least I think it is- based on what I’ve ready about cozy mysteries I’d say this one fits the bill, albeit on the darker side!) However, if all cozy mysteries are this funny, irreverent, and quick then I will definitely be reading more! Finlay Donovan is Killing It reminded me a lot of a darker Hallmark-type movie, following the life of a down on her luck single mother who is a struggling author who […]

March 2021 TBR

Posted March 10, 2021 in Features, TBR / 2 Comments

I’ve made a lot of reading resolutions, and one of them is to be better about cultivating a monthly TBR. I know so many bloggers do beginning of the month TBR posts and I always LOVE reading them, so I’ve decided to post my own as well! I will include my physical, e-book, and ARC TBRs as well as a status update of where I am prior to starting my upcoming month’s TBR. Reading Progress Prior To This Month: 11/75 Books Read Library A Vow So Bold and Deadly | This is definitely the month of EXCELLENT library holds coming […]

Mini YA Reviews | Cemetery Boys and Concrete Rose

Posted March 8, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

Cemetery Boys was the most atmospheric contemporary I’ve read in a long time! Following Yadriel, who lives in a graveyard with his family of brujx, it takes place over the course of a few days and includes an accidentally summoned ghost, found families, new friendships, and a lot of self discovery. I really enjoyed reading about the lush and beautiful traditions that the brujxs participated in, and how they were juxtaposed against the horrors that can come along with shepherding souls to the afterlife. I also think the story did a good job exploring how families, while well-intentioned, can harm […]

What’s On My Library List [5]: We’re Still Social Distancing…

Posted March 3, 2021 in Features / 2 Comments

What’s On My Library List is an original feature I started to highlight some of my most anticipated reads I have on hold through my local library that I am eagerly waiting for! So I went back through my blog archives to determine when the last time I did a post in this series was, and it was in March 2020 and I talked about how we had just recently entered “shelter-in-place” due to COVID and how I was looking forward to getting more reading done since I had been recently distracted due to the pandemic…ha…hahaha…if I had only known […]

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas | Review

Posted March 1, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 1 Comment

In some ways, I can’t believe this book is here. It feels almost too good to be true, to get to revisit Prythian, the Night Court, the Inner Circle…to learn more about the fantasy world that Maas completely captivated me with. I will admit, A Court of Mist and Fury to this day remains one of my favorite books, and I was beyond ecstatic to learn that the series would continue through Nesta and Cassian’s POVs. I happily devoured the fluff that was A Court of Frost and Starlight and eagerly waited to pick up the threads that were teased […]