Destroyer (The Shattered City #1) by Meg Smitherman 4/5 Stars
This is a delightfully engrossing and unique book. The world it’s set in is explained simply and clearly, which I’m always thankful for in a fantasy novel. I love the fact that the main character, Ru, is an archeologist and an underdog, and I really like all of the supporting characters. The first half has some clunky phrases or wording that distract from the story and fade as it goes on; There are also some inconsistencies in details, like a description of Fen being given a cream shirt to wear then a few pages later, “He was formidable, all in black.” Both of these could be resolved easily with a more thorough proofread.
Unfortunately, I don’t love Ru. My largest issue with her is that she has all of these strange, concerning, very big-deal things happening to her but she doesn’t seem to care at all about finding out why they are happening or how to resolve them. Part of this is also that she is so consumingly infatuated with Fen that this feels a lot like a YA romance novel, so a head’s up for those who would be looking for or trying to avoid that.
Overall, I loved the book and can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid 5/5 Stars
Wow, wow, wow. I don’t have enough good things to say about this book. The beautiful, intense, too-short love story of Elsie and Ben is braided with the aftermath of Ben’s death and how Elsie manages to survive it. The two storylines balance each other beautifully, one complete joy and the other a devastating sorrow. It’s a work of art.
I’ve been wanting to read a book by this author because they seem so popular and I’m so glad I did. I can’t wait to read more.