Paper Pages

  Why do I feel like this is going to be Paper Pages meets Therapy Session ? That’s because it is, Vivian. You know it is; you planned it would be, and therefore you will write it exactly like it is. Well then, let’s get into it. I’m not going to talk too much about life, so let’s talk books first. I’ve read almost 100 books —more like 75; however, that was alongside life being life and job hunting being as evil as ever. I only blog about the ones that made an impact on my reading life. I tend to steer away from the ones that gave me indigestion. As a blogger, I need the journey to be ravishing. As an editor, I need the literature to speak to me in a way only words can. The right ratios of dialogue to description and steady character development. After reading so many tropes, there are only ever limited ways for the story to take its toll. The art of recycling lines is not lost, but what I look for is the book that gives me something I never expected. I expected the arrang...

           We have books, a movie, and now a series to talk about. I know, tell me about it. This is hard. It is so hard because I’ve read some bad books, but twice as many good books. You couldn’t possibly ask me what my top 5 are. No one did, Vivian; you asked yourself. First and foremost, I have never pre-ordered and then not read so many books in my life. Tessa Bailey —the one who started it all for me—has an unread book sitting on my TBR. Did no one read that correctly? It’s on my TBR, not on my read pile. I don’t know why. Second of all, I’m confused as to what era of reading I’m in now. Is it mafia? Is it billionaire? Is it small town? Single dads? The goddamn 1980s?! No idea. This year has been a mess in terms of jobs, life, and also in terms of paper pages. Where do we begin? Oh yes, the paper pages. If you’ve been here for a while, then you know I started this blog before 2023 finished, alongside my Instagram bookish page. I’ve made great progres...

  (The MMC literally boxes, wears glasses and is a polite billionaire. You tell me) Men with glasses are always lethal. Krill Morzov? My point exactly. The nickname here is "love" and "darling," which in British accents are lethal, so no complaints. Book number 2 in the King of Sin series and arguably one of the most underrated ones for reasons unknown to me. Yes, it’s not as ruthless as King of Wrath or any of the MMCs written by Ana Huang, but you don’t need that in order for it to be a great read. This was a pivotal read in the series, and it deserves attention no less. We have seven sins with Dante conquering Wrath, so of course, Kai Young had to dominate Pride—and boy, did Ana make sure he did. We have Kai Young, who is part of the biggest media company and is set to take over as the next CEO, as long as he secures a vote. In contrast, we have Isabella Valenci, who is everything he shouldn’t want—from the purple hair, tattoos, and taboo sex talk in pla...

  (The MMC is called Dante Russo. What do you think?) Mia Cara . I died a thousand times just there. Ana is very good with nicknames and this one may have just taken off at number 1. In honor of my most anticipated read of 2025 – King of Envy – I thought I was finally ready to talk about Dante Russo because, Lord knows, I need to take a few deep breaths and recover from a mental breakdown to do so. The Twisted series was just Ana Huang getting us ready for The King of Sins series because, Miss, what is this? What have you laced this series with? It has put me into not-having-a-morally-grey-boyfriend/husband depression mode. Let’s dive into the world of billionaires in New York with the forced/arranged marriage trope starring none other than a rich, handsome, big Italian, Dante Russo, and the ever so pleasing, elegant, beautiful Vivian Lau. Only after reading this series did, I know that The Twisted series existed. The playlist for this book really had me at the core, and...

  (Redemption always deserves a 5/5) What a way to end the book year because I fell in love with Rai S okolov  and Kyle Hunter. I don’t know why I took so long to read their duet. It’s one of those reads that I want to experience for the first time again. I’m confused. I had a thing for the Italian. Okay, maybe “had” is a bad word because I’m sure I’m still very much infatuated with the Italian. But after reading Rina Kent, I may have become a little too infatuated with the Russian. Maybe even more than Kirill. Oh, I don’t know. I love them all, but let’s talk about the stars of the show: Rayenka and Kyle. After reading The Deception Trilogy and The Monster Trilogy , I was very much interested in Kyle Hunter – because he was a sniper – and of Rai because she had a twin sister she was hiding, and due to the fact that she was a badass in the world of the Bratva, who are sexist towards women. So if you are familiar with the world of the Bratva written by Rina, then you kno...

  ( Picture credit - Pintrest @Creation World) A fiction book blogger isn’t just all about reading and spilling it all out onto paper. There is so much more that goes into curating posts and sharing bookish content than what meets the eye. Here’s a peek behind the scenes of my process: 1.           Book Selection – it all begins with selecting the right books. Whether it’s through recommendations, publisher outreach, or simply discovering hidden gems through networking, I very carefully choose titles that excite me whilst aligning with mine and my audience's interests. 2.           Keep it balanced – I never post the same trope twice in the same week and I make sure to keep it real. Not every read is a 5-star one even if the whole book world is saying it is and the same goes for 2-star reads. Don’t be biased. 3.           Read...

  (Typewrite picture credit - Pintrest @Redbubble) Myth-Busting: You Don’t Need Traditional Publishing to Get Noticed Hello. Did we miss the fact that it is absolutely 2024? Nearly 2025? We make our own rules. Unless you're HR and are processing my application – just take a chance on me, will you? There’s a common belief that in order to sell your books, be recognized as a serious author, or even consider yourself one, you must go through the traditional publishing route. As if it’s your only way out of the jungle. News flash – it’s not. Let’s set the record straight once and for all: self-publishing and indie authorship can be just as impactful. Wait, let’s change that. It has been just as impactful, if not more, in today’s literary world. Go onto my blog and my book reviewing Instagram account. You will see far more indie authors because I advocate for them. Some Sketcher, Danielle Lori, and H.D. Carlton are some of my all-time insta-buys. Time and time again, I have gently...

  (You never know with Cora Reilly. I still don't know)   Cora Reilly. I liked this read of yours and that’s saying a lot since I had a lot to say about you in my previous posts. Serafina Macini – later Falcone – and Remo Falcone. What a couple. The story, plot and character development were all there. Present as day. This is the Cora Rielly I wanted. If you’ve read my post from the beginning of the year titled Ex’s and Oh’s , then you know I have some serious beef with Cora Reilly. More specifically, you’d know I read about the Outfit’s Capo, Dante Cavallaro, and his wife, Valentina. Well, in Twisted Pride , we meet Serafina, Dante's niece, who gets kidnapped by none other than the most ruthless man ever—Remo Falcone of the Camorra. Why? Because the Outfit stepped into his territory, and Remo wasn’t about to let that slide. What follows is the story of a kidnapped bride—yes, they attack her on her wedding day—and the ruthless capo who, despite his reputation, isn’t qu...

  (The MMC is called Fox Thornton. Of course it's 5/5) Even the bests make a mishap, and it seems I did just that. I wrote a review for It Happened One Summer , which was book #1 in the series. However, I actually read this one first. If you’ve been a long-time reader, then you would know that most of the time when I start a series, I always discover it in the wrong order. And you know what? It always ends up being my most cherished read. Based on the information I’ve just given you; you must know now that I loved Fox Thornton and Hannah Bellinger far more than I did the OG. Ahhh. Let’s talk about this duo. I understand why everything was happening as it was once I read It Happened One Summer . Can you read it alone? Yes. Will it have the same effect? Yes. Does reading it in order elevate those feelings? Also, yes. Just read it in order. After being kept up-to-date with who the characters were, we see that Hannah Bellinger is the younger sister of Piper. They couldn’t be more d...