*I am incredibly grateful to NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

TLDR: I disliked the characters, plot and ending.

I had a lot of issues with this book. Some of which are my own fault but most of which stem from the book itself. Issue number one - which is partly a me problem and partly a book problem - I find pregnancy is written so poorly in books. So knowing that about myself and knowing that this book is very obviously one in which the main character gets pregnant, I probably should have known that I wouldn't like it right off the bat. I find in these kinds of books the pregnant character starts developing pregnancy effects far too quickly. For example, not even a month into her pregnancy, Everly is already crying hysterically or being overly emotional and blaming that on her pregnancy. That is not how it works. Similarly there were so many times Every's pregnancy was almost fetishised for example there are multiple times when Everly is reflecting on how her breasts have grown but her stomach is still completely flat. This just felt really icky to me especially in the way it was written.

Next are my issues with the book itself.

First up the character of Everly. She is so completely annoying and infuriating. She keeps on making the same mistakes over and over again. She insists that she doesn't need any help from anyone and then the minute she gets into a sticky situation, she phones Nicolai who, for some reason has nothing better to do, and ALWAYS comes to her rescue. Likewise the relationship we are supposed to be rooting for between Nicolai and Everly is very frustrating. Nearly every time they spend time together they say 'no, we can't do this' because Nicolai is Simone's (Everly's best friend) brother, and it's unfair to do this to her. This discussion is almost always immediately followed up by them trying to tear each others clothes off. Additionally, their relationship just did not have the time to build and form, there was too much insta-love and attraction for my liking.

Another issue I had with Everly is her weird relationship with Vaughn - one of the possible baby daddies. Now this next bit contains incredibly minor spoilers so skip ahead to the next paragraph if you don't want them.

Vaughn is essentially blackmailing Everly for sex after he caught her stealing money from their shared workplace. When Everly tries to stand up for herself against him and refuses to get an abortion like he requests, he starts yelling and getting violent. Naturally Nicolai of course is there and steps in, and he punches Vaughn in the face. Instead of being thankful, Everly gets mad at Nicolai yelling at him that Vaughn could be her family due to being a possible baby daddy. This is an insane reaction to have and it happens multiple time in the book.

Next up is the the journal and poems that Everly keeps. My key issue with the journal is it happens far to often through the book - in nearly every second chapter. Additionally it is also written in 2nd person as in "Dear Everly, today you went to work..." I absolutely detest this writing choice but admittedly I don't really have a good reason for why apart from I just did not like it. With the poems Everly is constantly dotting down, I knew they were meant to emphasise how Everly loves writing and is good at it, however that is just not the message I got. They were awful, so pretentious, trying to be deep and meaningful but just falling so flat. And like the journal, they occurred far too often and added even less than the journal to the plot and story.

Now this next part contains big spoilers so read at you own discretion but otherwise this is the end of the review.

John, the other potential baby daddy, is a 30+ year old doctor who Everly meets on a night out. Despite the age gap I can get around this because he has very honourable intentions with Everly. However this support was dramatically ruined when it was revealed that John was in fact Everly's FATHER. This occurs after they have found out John is the baby daddy and he and Everly have gotten engaged and she is introducing him to her family. I have no clue why on Earth this was included in the book. It was so completely unnecessary and added nothing but ickyness. After this revelation, Everly has a miscarriage and falls into a depression, and John commits suicide being unable to live with what he has done. I despised this ending but I guess it's okay because he left everything to Everly so she's no longer poor. I found the random chapter that was written in Mariah's POV, Everly's mother, very poorly done and it did not need to be there. I thought everything that was done in that weird and random chapter could have been accomplished in exposition or a conversation.

Overall I disliked the characters, plot and ending. I would not recommend this book.

I'm speechless with my eyes swollen. I just finished reading this book after I cried out loud and told my sister why I was crying. From the beginning, the story is already complicated. Everly had to face a big problem while her life was already hard. She had been struggling a lot throughout the book. I really didn't expect everything will turn out like that at all. I honestly feel the plot is unfair for "him", but I also understand why he did what he did. I also feel grateful that Everly had Nicolai and Simone with her through the good and the bad. Thank you for being so strong, Everly.

Last but not least, thank you, NetGalley and Swan Pages Publishing for providing me with this galley in exchange for an honest review.

I recommend this book to all of you, but please check for trigger warnings first.

🐚 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 🐚

4.25 ⭐

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: friends to lovers, accidental pregnancy, best friend's brother, forbidden, he falls first

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: blackmail, miscarriage, s*xual assault, incest, suicide, depression and anxiety, death of a parent and mention of a death of a parent; (there are more, so please check the tw on author's website - https://www.whitneyamazeen.com/sbab-content-warnings)

I'm still a little shocked because of the plot twist at the end, but I won't discuss this aspect because it's big spoiler.

I really liked Whitney's writing style and it is easy to read.

The action in the book moves a bit too quickly, which made the relationship between Everly and Nicolai develop in the same way as the action. I liked the fact that Everly is doing everything possible to build a future, but also to be able to take care of her family - her mom and sister. I would have liked if her and her mother to spend more time together so that their relationship could grow more and be strong.

Everly goes though a lot during the book, but Nicolai is the only one constant person who is by her side when she is down.

Thank you NetGalley, Swan Pages Publishing, and Whitney Amazeen for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

What The Actual F.....?!? OK, that was a roller coaster that's going to take some time to process. I started this book and didn't put it down until I was completely finished. I couldn't help it, I was invested from the first chapter and then things escalated and I just couldn't stop.

The plot twist really got me. By the time I figured out what was going to happen I was right on top of the reveal. Not going to lie, I hated the twist and wish the author would have done literally anything else. Don't get me wrong, the writing is amazing, I just hated what happened here.

Something Bright and Burning is not for the faint of heart. There's so much that happens and if you're someone who needs trigger warnings I highly suggest checking them before reading this.

In a nutshell I thought this book was captivating, well written, infuriating and heartbreaking. Lately I've been finding it difficult to become immersed in stories but this one really captivated me. If you're going to read it make sure you have time on your hands so you don't have to put it down until you're finished.

I sadly didn't really enjoy this. It was a very quick read but I still struggled to read it. It just didn't hold my attention.

Everly seemed like an interesting character in the beginning but she was very one dimensional. There are some heavy topics talked about in this book and everything seemed a little surface level so I never really connected with Everly. The diary entries were probably where any potential connection would have come from but the second person style just didn't work for me. It seemed to separate those things from Everly rather than make me understand her more. This left me with a very heavy character-driven book about a character I didn't care about which never works. She wet around making decisions and doing things that I didn't understand or at least didn't understand why I should care, I found myself bored.

The various guys and romance all just didn't quite click. The bad guy, the rich guy, and the good guy were very stereotypical and one note. I again was not invested.

The one thing I really did like was her relationship with her little sister. The idea that some kids grow up taking care of their siblings for various reasons is an interesting topic and I like how it was played out here.

Overall, this is one I'll soon forget. It wasn't bad so if you have a strong interest, go for it but not one I would recommend.

* I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley & Swan Pages Publishing for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the synopsis, I was very intrigued & excited to read this novel. The cover really grabbed my attention as well because it is so beautifully illustrated.

Unfortunately for me, the story was too fast-paced and I couldn't really connect with Everly. I did feel for her though, she's really young to have gone through all that messed up stuff.

I honestly don't know how to feel about this book. While it was an okay read, I took a bit to get into the story but I doubt I'd recommend it to any of my friends.

3.5 Stars

This story throws you right in at the beginning. I truly enjoyed the journal entries throughout the book because it gave a deeper insight on the mc’s thought process in a different and fresh way.

A young 18 year old trying to figure out life after an unexpected pregnancy and her thoughts and viewpoints on life are so realistic. She’s relatable and so mature in her thought process that only people who are forced to mature mentally at an early age would fully understand. Something I never would’ve expected happened and when I tell you I threw my phone in surprise. Holy wow.

“The trouble is, no matter how loud I scream, I can’t seem to hear my own voice.”

The poetry. I adored the poetry. It warmed my heart and ripped it apart in the same moment.

The following review was posted on my blog yesterday, Thursday, September 15th, 5 days before publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram between today and the day of publication, as well. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.






“He does the most dangerous thing a person can do; he lets me hope.
And this kind of hope-the kind that makes me feel like somehow everything’s going to turn out okay in the end-will only end in disappointment.”

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1.5 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Is all about teenage pregnancy, discusses rape and blackmailing leading to sexual assault, sexual content in general, suicide, underaged drinking, incest, miscarriages, financial hardships, parental death and abandonment, and religious guilt.

“Something Bright and Burning” follows Everly Martin, as she finds out she’s pregnant at 18… and she’s not sure who the father is. Her whole future is ahead of her, she’s taking college classes and working and barely making ends meet. The father could either be Vaughn, the douchebag coworker who’s forced himself on her, or John, the older man she met at a bar. But then there’s also Nicolai, her best friend’s brother, and someone Everly had an instant connection with. In this world, where there are no right answers, will Everly choose to follow what she things if best for her or her baby? Or for both?

Told through journal entries, poems, and a first-person narrative, “Something Bright and Burning” is an ode to hardship and self-improvement. Some characters were a bit cartoonish but, in general, almost all were well-defined, with their diverse personalities, stories, and beliefs.

“I often feel like she willingly allows me to shoulder the weight of our family’s responsibilities. When she leaves the parent role empty, I have no choice but to fill it.”

The only thing I wasn’t 100% sold on was the poetry… It was simply not my cup of it. It was just some instagram-worthy prose, just like the next guy. No poem really spoke to me. It just felt like a little something added to give the main character some hobbies and personality traits.

But oh, was the plot twist so so wild. It has been months, maybe even years, since a plot twist had hit me so hard. Just that plot twist makes this book worth reading. I wish I could go back and read it for the first time all over again.

This book kind of reminded me of Lauren J. Sharkey’s “Inconvenient Daughter” and maybe even a bit to Hanya Yanagihara’s “A Little Life”. It just undertook some very heavy subjects. It did an amazing job of portraying life, with some of its extreme threats.

I would highly recommend this book. “Something Bright and Burning” is a complex read, with a ton of triggering situations (and therefore a ton of content warnings), but if you find the heart to read through them, you won’t regret it.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Swan Pages Publishinf in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: September 20, 2022

“It’s not you, Nicolai. It’s me, I want to tell him. But
those words have never worked for anyone. So, I don’t look back. I grab all my shit, I take a deep breath, and leave.”

I'm not sure where to begin with this book. This is the story of Everly, an eighteen-year-old woman who discovers she is pregnant but is unsure which of two men is the father.

This book follows Everly through her journey of teen pregnancy, falling in love at the worst possible time, grief, abuse, and some truly dark secrets from the past that had such a major impact on her present because they were kept under wraps for so long.

I really enjoyed this author's writing style and the flow of the story up until that jaw-dropping twist that I could have done without. I don't want to give too much away, but I really couldn’t get down with that. (Please read the trigger warnings before reading this novel because the ick factor was insane) and I just had to lower my rating for that alone.

Thank you to Swan Pages Publishing and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ / 5

I really wanted to like this, and the first part of the book did mostly engage me. However, knowing where it's going, I know that I can't finish this. Interestingly, I found the writing equally engaging but also confusing. My favourite parts were the poems, as I found them beautiful.

*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

Ever pick up a book that makes you ask yourself, "yo. wtf did I just read?" This was definitely that type of book for me. It's a whole wild ride from beginning to end. We have the story of Everly, who in the span of one day, goes on an accidental Tinder date and finds out she's pregnant. She soon has to decide between falling in love, or giving her baby a whole typical family unit, while keeping secrets from those most important to her. I won't say much more than that because this is a book that needs to be experienced blind. I cannot be the only one who had such conflicting feelings about this book, so when you finish it, lemme know what you think!

<u>Something Bright and Burning</u> comes out in stores on 9/20/22.

The story has so many issues - no one really discusses the issue of teen pregnancy and the whole disturbing behaviour around it, the plot is so fast moving that you ask yourself 'wtf' every 5 lines, there's no actual development on any side (characters, romance, plot itself). It's just a rollercoaster and not in a good way.

**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC copy for an exchange of an honest review!

I loved this book. I was sucked in from the very first sentence and finished it in less than 24 hours.

Eighteen-year-old Everly learns she's pregnant. And to make matters worse, she isn't sure who the father of her child is.
This book revolves around very important topics that have to do with teen-pregnancy, abuse, love, grief and the magnitude secrets can hold.

The characters' development in this book was incredible; seeing them at the beginning and then at the end goes to show how their journey has not only affected themselves, but the people around them and their whole life as well. The writing style added so much depth to the story and I loved how Everly used to write letters to herself in her diary throughout the book. Some of these included poetry that truly spoke to my heart.

I have to say the plot twist at the end was shocking to say the least- it truly through me off guard for a minute (you'll understand if you've read the book). For a second, it made want to change the rating of the book because of how disturbed I was. But upon further reflection I realized that by having such a drastic ending, the author goes to show how one secret could go a long way. The butterfly effect in this book came at full force. And in a way it made me feel for the characters more and understand the immensity of their predicament.

Something Bright and Burning is an original. It's a well-written story that depicts strong female leads in their journey through struggles that are heavy on any woman's shoulder and how within themselves, there's always something bright and burning.

Go into this blindly. That's the best way to read this.

4/5 stars. I absolutely loved 80% of this book. I’ve never read anything like it and probably never will again, I applaud it for somehow being so unique and fantastic. Although I loved this book, I am VERY conflicted about the ending. If you’ve read this, you probably know exactly what I mean. Even though I have no idea what to feel about the ending, I won’t let it ruin the fact that this was still a fantastic novel.

Sorry but what the fuck did I just read? It was a dark but kind of cute story up until the twist. WHO MAKES THE TWIST THAT SHE HAD SEX WITH HER DAD AND HE IS THE FATHER OF HER BABY?! I am still in shook.

TW: Suicide, Sexual Assault

I received an arc through netgalley.

Something Bright and Burning by Whitney Amazeen is a straight page-turner! Everly turned 18 and kind of lost her grip on life and the struggle she and her family have always faced. Studying Engineering, just to one day break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. And then those two lines appeared on a test and if she thought life was hopeless before, just prepare yourself for all that Everly has to go through, from finding out who the father of her unborn child is, to falling in love in the process, to her life turning upside down by secrets once kept, way before her time. In the end, she finds interest and changes her major to what she truly enjoys, writing, which you also get to see a lot as Everly has a diary she often revisits. A lot of trigger warnings in this book but the author, Whitney Amazeen, provides useful resources just in case anyone is going through similar situations.

I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley AND Swan Pages Publishing in exchange for an honest review. I’m so appreciative of getting the opportunity to review this book as it was my first ARC!

That said, this was not the book for me. It will be someone’s favorite book, but unfortunately it was not mine. The synopsis sounded so promising (second photo), but I don’t believe was an accurate reflection of the actual plot.

The Pros
•the main character, Everly, was likable
•the plot covers some topics that I think will be relatable to some readers (unplanned pregnancy, complex family relationships, poverty)
•Everly has such a wonderful relationship with her young sister, Amma

The Cons
•the plot was chaotic, scattered, and very two-dimensional
•there was no depth to the characters, no chance to really fall for them and get the chance to root for them
•the ending was pretty far-fetched and unbelievable
•I feel like the author added drama into the plot for the sake of having drama, not necessarily to support the plot.

Trigger Warnings: suicide, sexual assault, inc no est, physical violence, miscarriage

✨ Warning: spoilers ✨

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TW: incest, miscarriage and suicide

After reading the synopsis, I was heavily intrigued and wanted to read this novel. I started off being invested through the transitions of the novel and wanting to find out who the baby’s father was. In addition, the MC leads on her best friend’s brother and one potential baby daddy. Additionally, the writing style itself was a bit wattpad-like and I knew that I wouldn’t be rating this highly. But it dropped after getting more than halfway through.
The baby’s father ended up being the unknown father of the MC. So unintentional incest, but still. Whilst I’m all for shock value, this made me feel sick and disturbed.

I LOVE strong women characters, so that i loved this book. this book was so good for a reason. main storyline was so unique loved it and recommend it to y’all.

thank you to netgally for the ARC copy 🫶🏻

T/W for the book: Sexual violence, suicide

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love messy characters in messy situations...and this book did not disappoint! The book begins when we meet Everly, an 18 year old who has recently found out she's pregnant. The father could be one of two different men. The book follows Everly through her pregnancy and the choices she's forced to make, whether she puts herself first or does what she thinks is most responsible now that she is to be a mother.

Sometimes with messy books like this, the author focuses too much on the drama and the book moves at a glacial pace. This book was not that. It moved pretty quickly from one point to the next and throughout the book I was at the edge of my seat wondering what Everly would choose.

Also....major plot twist. Just. Whew. The dramaaaaa! Was *not* expecting that. I think the plot twist actually is what cemented this book as 5 stars for me, just enough to knock me off my feet.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Swan Pages Publishing for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**