Julie's Review: The Library of Fates

Author: Margot Harrison

Series: None

Publication Date:  December 2, 2025

Publisher: Graydon House

Pages: 320

Obtained: Publisher

Genre:  Mystery, Magical Realism

Rating: 4/5

Bottom Line: A  novel for anyone who thinks books are magic

Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: The Library of Fates was designed to show you who you are—and who you could become. Its rarest book, The Book of Dark Nights, holds a secret: when you write an intimate confession on its pages, you'll receive a prediction for your future, penned in your own handwriting. For Eleanor, whose childhood was defined by a senseless tragedy, the library offers a world where everything makes sense. She’s spent most of her life there as an apprentice to the brilliant librarian, showing other people how to find the meaning of their lives in stories. But when her mentor dies in a freak accident and The Book of Dark Nights goes missing—along with the secrets written inside—Eleanor is pulled out of the library and into a quest to locate it with the last person she expects: the librarian’s estranged son, Daniel, who Eleanor once loved. Together, as they hunt down clues from Harvard to Paris, Eleanor and Daniel grow closer again, regaining each other’s trust. But little do they know that they’re entangled in a much larger web. Someone else wants the book, and they'll go to dark lengths to get it... ~amazon.com

Review: I'm not sure how you define a book as "dark academia" since it's not something I read but this was definitely magical realism to me. I mean books are powerful but to be able to harness that power to pick a book someone needs is definitely magic. Eleanor has long been enchanted by the Library of Fates since that moment she took the seminar with Odile and then figured out she had a way to harness the energy/power and pick books for people. When Odile dies and the Book of Nights goes missing, she feels that there's something a bit more sinister to it than she previously felt. Plus, now Odile's son, Daniel, is back in her life and she has to confront the past and her actions. 

I enjoyed the mystery of what happened to Odile and who else was after the book, although that wasn't really too hard to figure out. I also wanted to know how Daniel lost his memories of a specific time in college and how he was starting to get them back. Why did Eleanor feel guilt over his lost memories? There was definitely a romantic vibe to the novel overall between Odile and Julien, Eleanor and Daniel but the setting of Harvard in the winter adds to the magic as well. 

Plus, as a book lover how are you not intrigued by the ability of someone to find you the book you need. It might not be what you think in that moment either but the library obviously knows your soul. 

The Library of Fates is a novel for anyone who loves books and believes them to be magic all by themselves. 

Review Quickies

I'm not going to lie, this one took me a bit to get through. Not because it's not great (it is) but because the subject matter is heavy and tense. It is an epic story that spans decades full of loss, heartache, hope and love. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart and I liken it to The Lovely Bones. It is just as traumatic as that novel. I also think those who love a good thriller, mystery and true crime will love this one. 

I can definitely understand why this one was on so many "Best of" lists for 2024. 

Sometimes you have to throw a novel in your rotation that you know you will fly through and enjoy. I really enjoyed The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther, so I ordered this one. This one was a solid YA novel about figuring out what you want and going after it. It's also about family, kindness and acceptance. It has some pretty funny moments in it as well. Plus, I really liked the family dynamics. 

I've read Mazey's other books so I knew the banter would be top notch and man did it not disappoint. Eva and Rylie have history from college and well it really pisses Eva off  that Rylie is now a green flag because he was not back then. This leads to them having to work with each other by going on dates. The purpose is for Rylie to convince Eva that he really has changed. I think we all know how this goes but it was such a fun journey to be on. 

Review Quickies

I haven't been the best lately at writing reviews of all the books I've read/listened to still, so I decided to do another quick review. I swear at some point I really will get better about doing full reviews. For now, here are some thoughts on recent books. 

I have read every single book that Abby has written and let me tell you, her books really don't disappoint. I loved the aspect of the "magic" of being the one before the "one". For this to happen to both Emma and Justin and then for them to find each other, has to mean something right? Abby always has serious subjects woven into her stories and Just for the Summer isn't without those and other hurdles. 

First of all, how many names does Catherine McKenzie write under? I had no clue this was her until other bloggers starting saying it. I mean maybe author picture could have given me an idea?!! I love all these romance novels that are fun but have serious issues or backgrounds that characters have to deal with before they can be in that relationship or at least work on it before proceeding. I loved the premise of this book and how it's a little bit messy between Chloe and "Jack". Plus her best friend is great! 

This writing duo's last few books have been fantastic and The Paradise Problem was a knock out punch. I loved this book and the characters so much! Anna is a great heroine who adapts to the awkward situation she's put into and is gracious. Liam is a mess but a very hot, sexy mess. His family is so very toxic as in they could be a case study for toxic families. I'm not sure how Anna survived it. Well I do and they were very spicy scenes. 😉 I love the faking dating trope but this might be my favorite fake marriage trope novel. 

Julie's Review: Meet the Benedettos

Author: Katie Cotungo
Series: None
Publication Date:  December 5, 2023
Publisher: Harper Perennial 
Pages: 256
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Interesting reality tv twist on a classic 
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: An A-list movie star moves to Los Angeles--next door to a family of five eligible sisters--in this irresistible novel where The Kardashians meets Pride and Prejudice, from the NYT bestselling author of Birds of California. Every family is complicated, and the Benedettos are no exception. A few years after a reality TV show skyrocketed them to pop-culture fame, the five twentysomething sisters are living together in their parents' crumbling McMansion, nearly broke and teetering towards rock-bottom. Lilly, the sensible second-eldest sister, is all too aware that her family is viewed as a spectacle, but she's focused on holding herself and her family together, and unlike her siblings she tends not to care what the world thinks. The Benedettos' fortunes finally appear to be brightening when Charlie Bingley, the dashing star of Captain Fantastic, moves into their Los Angeles neighborhood with his friend Will Darcy in tow. It isn't long before Charlie falls for the warm and lovely eldest sister, June. Lilly has no such luck: the arrogant and judgmental Will Darcy, a man plagued by his own private demons, seems ready to clash with her at every turn--yet the two can't seem to stay away from each other. And while the Benedettos' matriarch sets to work encouraging a potential match between Charlie and June, there are plenty of others in the community who are determined to steer these eligible young men away from a ridiculous family of reality show has-beens...Katie Cotugno brings a big, boisterous cast of characters to life in this deliciously sprawling LA story--a thoroughly fresh and modern tale about a family that's "famous for being famous," the ways that preconceived notions make fools of us all, and how unexpected romance can bloom despite the odds. ~amazon.com

Review: I am probably not the right reader to entice with a Kardashians tagline but I'm glad I ignored that and read the novel anyway. I do understand why they would use that though to attract readers who love some reality tv. It's also been a long time since I've read Pride and Prejudice but I remember enough to draw the parallels. 

Lilly and Will are the central characters in Meet the Benedettos and they initially they are attracted to each other but of course someone says something which leads to some hard feelings. They are thrown together because Will's best friend, Charlie, is interested in Lilly's older sister June; plus they live in the same neighborhood. 

While this is a love story it is more a story of family, reckoning with the past and moving forward. Both Lilly and Will have a lot to deal with when it comes to figuring out where they go from the place they are at. For Will, it's dealing with his recent mental health issues and reverberating issues from his parents death years ago. Lilly is dealing with being infamous now that her families reality show is over and the demise of their family "fortune". She's also the sister who feels like she's in charge of everyone else, even if this isn't the case. She feels like she's the most responsible so she carries the weight on her shoulders. 

I enjoyed the story overall and how the characters grew up a bit. The biggest revelation with Mari at the end of the book. She was always the one in the background; the mysterious one. 

If you are a fan of family stories or reimagines of classics,  you will want to grab Meet the Benedettos.