Lupe Farkas
Independent book reviews · The Imperfect Rebel
Welcome to my reading room
Books read.
Feelings kept.
Independent book and ARC reviews by Lupe Farkas. The books that kept me awake, made me laugh in the wrong places, or left me sitting quietly after the final page.
Voice, atmosphere, characters and how it felt to spend time in their world.
Reviews reflect my own reading experience. My review policy explains the process.
Literary fiction, fantasy, romance, memoir and discoveries beyond my usual shelves.
The collection
Find the book that finds you.
Explore my book reviews, with the newest first. Open a title to read the full review and discover what stayed with me.
The Names We Burn by Arthur Iverson | 4.5-Star Spoiler-Free Review
The Names We Burn caught me with its premise and kept me with its sharp voice, inventive magic system and questions of identity, autonomy and power. A dark, clever 4.5-star fantasy with an…
Liberty Cafe by Ruslana Pidsadiuk — Four-Star Contemporary Romance Review
Books, coffee, quiet kindness and the kind of ordinary moments that slowly become important. Liberty Cafe by Ruslana Pidsadiuk is a warm, comforting four-star contemporary romance with a world I genuinely wanted to…
The Paris Rental by Rachel Keerey — Four-Star Psychological Thriller Review
Don’t disturb the family. One rule, one beautiful Parisian mansion and absolutely no chance I was going to mind my own business. The Paris Rental by Rachel Keerey is an atmospheric psychological thriller…
On Frost Moon Lake: The Price of the Thaw by Europa Ocean — Four-Star Romantasy Review
A woman falls into another world and somehow turns spreadsheets into a military advantage. On Frost Moon Lake by Europa Ocean gave me slow-burn romantasy, found family, humour and a surprisingly tender heart.…
Perpetūra by Lacunae: What Does It Feel Like to Read a Feeling You Cannot Name?
Lacunae did not simply write The Ones Before and The Origin. She built Perpetūra. A spoiler-free five-star review of both novels, the interactive world, its music, and the architecture connecting everything.
Dangerous Haven by Luna Pierce
Dangerous Haven by Luna Pierce gave me morally grey chaos, a strong but vulnerable heroine, a gloriously protective Archer and duet narration that kicked the door down. Four stars and three chillies for…
Denim and Dust by Harper Dale
Denim and Dust by Harper Dale was my first second-chance romance and I read it in one sitting. Laurel, Calder, little Bowie and their warm Texas community completely won me over. Four stars…
A New Theory of the Visible Universe by Joe Fisher | Book Review
I am not qualified to tell you whether Joe Fisher has rewritten the universe. I am qualified to tell you that somewhere between Einstein, Hawking and one infinite visible contrasting surface, I stopped…
I’m a Weapon by Sean Robins: My First Sci-Fi Book Gave Me an Existential Crisis About Robots
I almost said no because science fiction is not normally my world. Then Sean Robins made me laugh with an email, and I wondered what he could do with an entire book. Apparently,…
The Marked Path by Ghostwolf Art — The Book That Marked Me Back
Thirty pages. I read them again and again. The Monster held me, The Wolf followed me out of the book, and somewhere between ink, memory and trust I found my past, present and…
Perfectly Unmatched by George Mak — The Little Blue Sock That Made Us Cry Before Lunch
Weeks after George Mak first introduced me to Lefty, my first physical review copy arrived from Greece, was immediately stolen by The Busy Ink, and made both of us cry. My five-star review…
Rebellious & Rooted by Amber Elwood
Returning to Fairport in Rebellious & Rooted felt like coming back to a world I already loved. Amber Elwood delivers a five-star small-town romance full of chemistry, patience, heart, community, and a beautiful…
Eternal Ties by Katie Gabbert Downey
Eternal Ties by Katie Gabbert Downey is a chaotic paranormal fantasy romance packed with vampires, reincarnation, soul ties, magic, supernatural drama and a seriously intense spice level. Here is my honest review.
The Echoes of Bellhaven Review
The Echoes of Bellhaven by M. J. Vale is an atmospheric, ambitious fantasy debut with rain-soaked streets, buried history, impossible architecture and a city that feels alive. At 599 pages it sounds intimidating,…
Lilith’s Firstborn by Rachel Teo
Lilith’s Firstborn by Rachel Teo gave me Lilith’s immortal daughter, God as Grandpop, fallen angels, magical science, the Second Coming and a water dragon named Slippy. Four stars for an inventive, funny fantasy…
The Snow Witch by Kirsty Ferry
Lupe Farkas reviews The Snow Witch by Kirsty Ferry; a witchy dual-timeline novel filled with folklore, seventeenth-century accusations, ancient wells, and the haunting pull of the past.
A Vow of Ash and Ruin by Vivienne Ashe
A Vow of Ash and Ruin by Vivienne Ashe gave me magical contracts, a mysterious fae Court, a bookbinder heroine and an intriguing mystery. Three stars for a clever romantic fantasy whose detailed…
The Cozy Nook Bookshop by Jeannie Chin
The Cozy Nook Bookshop by Jeannie Chin gave me a Vermont bookshop, a grumpy forest ranger, a meddling Granny, warm small-town chaos and more spice than I expected. Four stars for a wonderfully…
Always, Forever by Leslie Reta
Always, Forever by Leslie Reta is a beautifully written memoir about loving someone through addiction, protecting a child inside chaos, surviving trauma and learning to live without waiting for the next disaster.
Ramen, Existential Crises
*Ramen, Existential Crises* by Roie Oknin is one of the ten best books I have ever read—a poetic, deeply human novel about being stuck, moving forward, quiet acts of love and the beauty…
What Kind of Mother?
What Kind of Mother? by Sheila Norton is an emotional family drama about motherhood, trauma, trust and the painful reality of returning home after a year missing, only to discover that the people…
The Last O’Clery Witch
The Last O’Clery Witch by Rebekkah Ford is a cosy, magical and adventurous start to The Grimbrook Diaries, filled with witches, vampires, werewolves, romance, friendship, spiritual practices and one unforgettable ghost cat. A…
The Secret Bookshop in Ireland
A heartwarming Irish romance about friendship, family, inherited dreams, and a bookshop that feels like home. The Secret Bookshop in Ireland is a five-star comfort read filled with warmth, short chapters, lovable characters,…
The Girl Before Me
A five-star review of The Girl Before Me by Diana Wilkinson, a psychological thriller with believable characters, fast pacing, complicated love and plot twists that repeatedly destroyed my theories.
Murder Among the Hives
*Murder Among the Hives* by Eloise Everhart is a gentle paranormal cozy mystery filled with beekeeping, small-town secrets, loyal friendships, a misunderstood heroine rebuilding her life, and one unforgettable cow familiar. Perfect for…
Sassy & Sowed by Amber Elwood
Lupe Farkas reviews Sassy & Sowed by Amber Elwood, a five-star, three-chilli romance about ambition, agriculture, personal growth, and discovering that the life we planned may not be the life that makes us…
SEVEN by M. Iorga
*SEVEN* by M. Iorga is a haunting reincarnation epic about two souls who keep finding each other across different lives, bodies, and centuries. Poetic, atmospheric, and deeply romantic, this is a story about…
The Making of a Witch
*The Making of a Witch* by Judy Molland is a deeply researched historical witch novel set against the danger and superstition of seventeenth-century England. With an authentic childhood voice, herbalism, real historical detail,…
Wildfire & the Sun Prince
*Wildfire & the Sun Prince* by S.D. Huston is a quick, spicy fae romance packed with enemies-to-lovers tension, forbidden desire, strong characters, and enough emotional payoff to feel like the final chapters of…
Portrait of a Witch Undone
*Portrait of a Witch Undone* by K.S. Shay is a wild, fast, adrenaline-fuelled witchy fantasy with no time to breathe, richly detailed world-building, fierce friendships, complicated families, and glorious magical chaos. I read…