Hello everyone! I hope you’re doing well. January flew by so quickly because of the Lunar New Year celebrations. It has been about two years, because of COVID, since I met my extended family. Despite how busy everything was, I managed to read quite a bit of books, but only three 2023 books. Regardless, I’ll slowly make my way through the January list. I know it’s closer to March than January but I was waiting for the cover real for one of the books which hasn’t happened yet. Hence, a delay.
For February, I have some plans for the blog and my bookstagram that I’m trying to revive. Hopefully, things will work out. As for February 2023 new releases, I have about eight books!
Three standalone novels will be coming out in February–This Time It’s Real by Ann Liang, Isha, Unscripted by Sajni Patel, and The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi. Continuation of series include book two in Castles in their Bones trilogy, fourth book in The Beautiful, and a novella collection for the Foul Lady Fortune duology.
Hope you will have a great February!
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this time it’s real – ann liang
standalone
February 7, 2023 by Scholastic Press
age range: young adult
genre: contemporary, romance
rep: Chinese
When seventeen-year-old Eliza Lin’s essay about meeting the love of her life unexpectedly goes viral, her entire life changes overnight. Now she has the approval of her classmates at her new international school in Beijing, a career-launching internship opportunity at her favorite magazine…and a massive secret to keep.
Eliza made her essay up. She’s never been in a relationship before, let alone in love. All good writing is lying, right?
Desperate to hide the truth, Eliza strikes a deal with the famous actor in her class, the charming but aloof Caz Song. She’ll help him write his college applications if he poses as her boyfriend. Caz is a dream boyfriend–he passes handwritten notes to her in class, makes her little sister laugh, and takes her out on motorcycle rides to the best snack stalls around the city.
But when her relationship with Caz starts feeling a little tooconvincing, all of Eliza’s carefully laid plans are threatened. Can she still follow her dreams if it means breaking her own heart?
♥️ Read this already! I adore Eliza and Caz, their dynamic is fun to read. This YA rom-com set in Beijing is filled with C-drama moments.
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stardust in their veins – laura sebastian
trilogy: castles in their bones #2
February 7, 2023 by Delacorte Press for Young Readers
age range: young adult
genre: fantasy, romance
rep: lgbt
Princesses Beatriz and Daphne have lost their older sister, but their mother’s grand scheme of taking the continent of Vesteria is far from complete. With the country of Temarin now under the Empress’s control, only the nations of Cellaria and Friv remain free from her rule. What’s worse, an ominous prophecy has begun to shine through the constellations: the blood of stars and majesty spilled.
Usurped by conniving cousins Nico and Gigi, Beatriz fears for her life, while in icy Friv, Daphne continues her shaky alliance with the rebels even as she struggles to stay a step ahead of them. But when an unlikely ally offers Beatriz a deal, she finds herself back in her mother’s sights.
With enemies around every corner and the stars whispering of betrayal, Daphne and Beatriz can’t trust anyone–least of all each other. If they’ve learned anything, though, it’s that the Empress’s game is constantly changing. And the arrival of surprise visitors from Temarin just might tip the scales in the princesses’ favor….if they manage to avoid meeting their sister’s fate before they can make their next move.
♥️ Curious to see what will happen now that the sisters are finally aware of their mother’s plans. This book is almost 600 pages long though, I’m hoping to read Stardust in Their Veins sooner than later.
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isha, unscripted – sajni patel
standalone
February 14, 2023 by Berkley Books
age range: adult
genre: contemporary, romance
rep: indian
Isha Patel is the black sheep of the family. She doesn’t have a “prestigious” degree or a “real” career, and her parents never fail to remind her. But that’s okay because she commiserates with her cousin, best friend, and fellow outcast, Rohan.
When Isha has a breakthrough getting her script in front of producers, it doesn’t go according to plan. Instead of letting her dreams fall through the cracks, Rohan convinces her to snag a pitch session with an Austinite high-profile celeb: the one and only Matthew McConaughey, who also happened to be her professor at the University of Texas years ago–he has to remember her, right?
Chasing Matthew McConaughey isn’t easy. Isha needs a drink or two to muster up courage, and she gets a little help from the cutest bartender she’s ever encountered. But when the search for the esteemed actor turns into a night of hijinks and unexpected–albeit fun–chaos, everything falls apart. Isha’s dreams seem farther than ever, but she soon realizes who she really needs to face and that her future may just be alright, alright, alright.
♥️ I adored the other books I’ve read from Sajni Patel so it’s not surprising that I have her 2023 release in this list.
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the last tale of the flower bride – roshani chokshi
standalone
February 14, 2023 by William Morrow & Company
age range: adult
genre: fantasy, horror, mystery, romance
Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after–and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.
But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor’s extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo’s dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives.
♥️ Thank you ARC gods cause I received an arc of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride. Will be reading this as soon as I can because it’s Roshani Chokshi and she deserves all the love.
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last violent call – chloe gong
duology: foul lady fortune #1.5
February 28, 2023 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
age range: young adult
genre: fantasy, historical, romance
rep: shanghainese
In A Foul Thing, Roma and Juliette have established themselves as the heads of an underground weapons ring in Zhouzhuang, making a living the way they do best while remaining anonymous in their quiet life.
But when they hear about Russian girls showing up dead in nearby towns, they decide to investigate–and discover that this mystery is closer to home than they ever imagined…
In This Foul Murder, Benedikt and Marshall have been summoned by Roma to find the elusive scientist, Lourens, and bring him to Zhouzhuang. Time is of the essence aboard the week-long Trans-Siberian Express, but when someone is murdered on board, Benedikt and Marshall convince the officer in charge they are investigators and promise they can solve the murder if he doesn’t stop the train.
But as they dig deeper, they realize that the murder might having surprising ties to their own mission…
♥️ All I need is Roma, Juliette, Benedikt, and Marshall’s appearance once more. This will bridge the These Violent Delights duology and the Foul Lady Fortune duology. I NEED THIS ASAP.
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let’s chat;
with the two danmei series coming out, i’m excited to read those. my most anticipated is LAST VIOLENT CALL, but i’m hoping to purchase the physical copy first.
what about yours?
full february list
✓ the temporary wife (the windsors #2) – catherine maura
✓ this time it’s real – ann liang
✗ wildblood – lauren blackwood
✗ these infinite threads (this woven kingdom #2) – tahereh mafi
✓ secretly yours (a vine mess #1) – tessa bailey
✗ winston chu versus the whimsies – stacey lee
✗ stardust in their veins (castles in their bones #2) – laura sebastian
✓ rule number five – jessa wilder
✗ the severed thread (the bone spindle #2) – leslie vedder
✗ when you wish upon a lantern – gloria chao
✗ isha, unscripted – sajni patel
✗ the last tale of the flower bride – roshani chokshi
✗ juniper harvey and the vanishing kingdom – nina varela
✗ artfully yours – joanna lowell
✗ stars of chaos volume 1 (stars of chaos #1) – priest
✗ three strikes and you’re mine – r.s. grey
✗ a tournament of crowns (a trial of sorcerers #3) – elise kova
✗ last violent call (foul lady fortune #1.5) – chloe gong
✗ a day of fallen night (the roots of chaos #0) – samantha shannon
✗ thousand autumns volume 1 (thousand autumns #1) – meng xi shi
✗ momo arashima steals the sword of the wind (mono arashima and the sword of the wind #1) – misa sugiura
✗ the adventures of amina al-sirafi (amina al-sirafi #1) – s.a. chakraborty
thisbellereadstoo.wordpress.com 
I’ve never heard of Thousand Autumns before, but the synopsis looks intriguing!
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i hope you like it! you can try out the animated show first and see if you liked the storyline. i don’t know how the original story and the show differs though.
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[…] @ This Belle Reads Too shared February 2023 releases she’s excited for and reviewed This Time It’s real by Ann Liang which convinces me to pick up the […]
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