The last book in K.L. Hiers’ Sucker for Love Mysteries series (Acsquidentally In Love) gave us a god with tentacles. A Joyfully Jay review.
3.5 stars
The last book in K.L. Hiers’ Sucker for Love Mysteries series (Acsquidentally In Love) gave us a god with tentacles. Lots and lots of tentacles. This book, the second in the series, gives us a god with two penises, and double penetration. This series is being re-released by the author with gorgeous new covers, and has the trademark wit, writing, and world building I’ve come to enjoy from them.
This book works well as a standalone. Ted and Grell’s adventures through their alien world as they hunt down the actual murderer are well plotted, and the ridiculous rules of this world continue to be amusing. When finding another body, Ted gets more blood on him — which means he’s legally the murderer, even though he and Grell saw that she was dead before he got near her.
This isn’t a book that takes itself seriously. It’s a book of gods and colorful suits, sex scenes, and a slightly contrived and overly convenient mystery where Ted figures out who an earring belongs to out of nowhere and that has ghosts answer all the questions Ted and Grell are too busy fucking to find answers to.
Lady Edith Rookwood was never meant to be the Liege of Netherford. As a younger daughter of a powerful mother, she isA Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Lady Edith Rookwood was never meant to be the Liege of Netherford. As a younger daughter of a powerful mother, she is, at best, adequate with her witchery and, at worst, mediocre; middling is the polite word for it. While Edith wasn’t happy, she was at least surrounded by her family and her coven. She served the Coven Council at Parliament, until a fire took all of that away. She is the last witch of her line, along with her uncle, Auden, and their cousin, Henry, a child whose powers have yet to manifest.
This book is set up as the first in a series and I am very much looking forward to the next one, which feature be Poppy’s sister, Violet. If you’re into witches, world building, mythology, and regency stories, you might enjoy this. But if you’re looking for a Pride and Prejudice retelling, this isn’t it. Enjoy the book for what it is, and have fun reading it!
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here. ...more
This will not be a book for everyone. It’s not a take down of Campbell or the creation of a new roadmap for writing tA Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
This will not be a book for everyone. It’s not a take down of Campbell or the creation of a new roadmap for writing transgender stories. It’s instead an examination of the stories told about and by transgender and nonbinary people, what it says about our society and how we treat them. The authors have a great deal to say and are eloquent in how they say it, using familiar books and shows. Honestly, it’s a book worth reading, and I’m glad I was able to.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here. ...more
The Crimson Crown is the first book in the Crimson Crown duology, and it’s an excellent story. There are witches, evil A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
The Crimson Crown is the first book in the Crimson Crown duology, and it’s an excellent story. There are witches, evil kings, and a mysterious religious order trying to replace the power of magic with its own mythology. There are dark portents, evil shadows, court intrigue, and cunning women who know how to use words with the skill and cruelty of an inquisitor. There is magic, animal familiars, magic mirrors, and enslaved dwarves toiling away in the mines. And in the middle of all this is Ayleth, reunited with Jacquetta, the girl she loved.
Full Shift is a 257-page graphic novel, and I wish it were longer. The art is loose and organic, with flowing shapes anA Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
Full Shift is a 257-page graphic novel, and I wish it were longer. The art is loose and organic, with flowing shapes and an emphasis on natural colors and forms. The woods, the river, the buildings, and the clothing of Tess and the pack are in subdued neutral shades, while Maddie stands out in more vibrant colors. The wolves themselves are drawn with humor and joy — with lolling tongues and bright, eager expressions. It’s a joy to look at.
The story is quick and the writing bright. The banter between Maddie and Tess is sharp, and a stark contrast to Tess’ quiet moments of despair.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here....more
This book, the first in the Medically Necessary series, is part of the SearchLight Academy multiverse, and it very muchA Joyfully Jay review.
3 stars
This book, the first in the Medically Necessary series, is part of the SearchLight Academy multiverse, and it very much shows. Backstories are mentioned, characters are introduced but brushed aside, plot points are brought up, but only in passing so that the focus of Amir falling for Oliver, and Oliver falling for Amir can take center stage. However, much of Oliver’s backstory isn’t present in this book, only hinted that there may have been both rape and a tumultuous rivalry in the past, and so I’m not sure that this book really should be read as a standalone. It very much feels like a companion novella, not something that is its own story.
Seer is the first book in Bix Barrow’s Wonderfall series, which is a companion series to the author’s Bent Oaks, Texas A Joyfully Jay review.
3 stars
Seer is the first book in Bix Barrow’s Wonderfall series, which is a companion series to the author’s Bent Oaks, Texas series. You don’t need to have read that series in order to read Seer, but there are moments where characters from those books show up in this one. Because this is the first book in a series, there are a lot of introductions to the world of Wonders, the city, and a dozen or so characters who will likely show up in future books, leaving this one feeling slightly unbalanced.
The ideas in this book are interesting, but everything feels so tenuously put together, and lacks the depth I wanted. If you’re a fan of the author’s work, you’ll probably enjoy this.
This story is about a young royal falling in love with an all American boy, with all the complications and complexitiesA Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
This story is about a young royal falling in love with an all American boy, with all the complications and complexities one would expect. The ex-boyfriend coming back, the disapproval of the king, the school play, the private jet flying the couple to the storybook kingdom, complete with a castle and a bustling market adventure. It sets up all the expected dominoes quite nicely, and topples them in the proper order.
This is just a lovely book. If you like coming of age stories, friends to lovers, princes in love, and strong family bonds, you should very much give this book a try.
First off, this is a book made up of two unreliable narrators. The first, Victor, has a degenerative mental disorderA Joyfully Jay review.
3.25 stars
First off, this is a book made up of two unreliable narrators. The first, Victor, has a degenerative mental disorder and has not been taking his medication. Instead, he’s using herbs given to him by a woman who knew his grandfather. It’s holistic medication that is also said to cure exorcisms. He’s paranoid, delving into conspiracy theories; he’s afraid, and he’s also currently the victim of “brain hacking.”
The writing is fine. The pace, on the other hand, is excellent. There’s never too much time spent in one scene, never too much exposition or lecturing; characters do what needs to be done in a scene and then move on to the next one. I found it easy to read, for all that I struggled to enjoy what I was reading, and I was caught by the world building, but enough that I want to read the second book, unfortunately.
This is a retelling of the myth of Psyche and Eros, and it’s quite a book. First and foremost, before even talking abouA Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
This is a retelling of the myth of Psyche and Eros, and it’s quite a book. First and foremost, before even talking about the characters, the lovely romance, and the bonds of sisterhood and daughterhood, I have to talk about the writing, because it’s both the thing that drew me into the story and also the thing that, at times, made the book almost unreadable. The author has a lovely, lyrical, and lush way of writing that — when it works — really works.
This won’t be a book for everyone, and it’s one where I strongly suggest you try a sample — or pick it up from the library — so that you can judge for yourself if the writing style is going to work for you.
Hunt in the Night is the third book in the Blood and Bonds series and continues with the excellent world building. IA Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Hunt in the Night is the third book in the Blood and Bonds series and continues with the excellent world building. It’s a series best read in order. The first book explains much of the world and what haemophiles are, and the second book introduces the murderous haemophile Lucien, his human lover Tyler, and the hunter Damon, who are suspects in this book. They’re also good books.
Personally, I love the world more than the plot … which I completely forgot to talk about. Just as well, as I don’t want to give anything away, because this plot is pleasantly twisty and the herrings are a brilliant shade of scarlet. The ending — the whys and wherefores, the actions and their consequences, all come together seamlessly and easily.
I really liked parts of this story … and was fine with the rest of it. Etain’s story, the eerie, unsettled nightmare heA Joyfully Jay review.
3 stars
I really liked parts of this story … and was fine with the rest of it. Etain’s story, the eerie, unsettled nightmare her life became, were well written and cheerfully burrowed beneath my skin. The hints and stories about changelings, about the mysterious priest, about the monster on the children’s television show were filled with all sorts of dark promise. The otherworldly feeling, the graphic imagery, and the visceral gory scenes were so much fun.
All in all, the writing is good. The pacing is rushed, and there’s never enough time for scenes to really develop any weight before it’s on to the next one.
If you give this a try, I hope you enjoy it, but beware that there is quite a bit of gore, violence against animals, mentions of alcoholism, kidnapping of a child, emotional abuse by a parent, and suicidal ideation.
JJ lost his family when he was a child; his parents, his life, were gone in one moment. Taken in by the Sanctum, JJ A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
JJ lost his family when he was a child; his parents, his life, were gone in one moment. Taken in by the Sanctum, JJ was trained to be a demon hunter, to be ruthless, dangerous, cold blooded, and monstrous. He’s good at it, and he tries to be great, to prove to the Sanctum that he was worth saving. But when he comes face to face with a young demon, whose age is somewhere between toddler and child, JJ can’t be the hunter he’s supposed to be.
If you’re looking for a new paranormal romance, or a demon/demon hunter romance, or a family-oriented adventure story, this is well worth a read. However, for people who aren’t as interested in kid-focused books, you might want to wait for the sequel, instead, which I will be eagerly waiting to read.
Whisper Wells is the first book in the Legends of the Whisper Woods series and introduces characters left and right,A Joyfully Jay review.
3.25 stars
Whisper Wells is the first book in the Legends of the Whisper Woods series and introduces characters left and right, already setting the groundwork for future books. It’s also a book that’s two-thirds story, one-third sex — which, nothing wrong with that, but it’s also fast. A good portion of Tor and Caelan’s relationship takes place off page. But I don’t want to read a book and have to fill in the blanks. I want the book to show me two characters falling in love.
While I didn’t feel that the character work was the strongest, which — as a character forward reader, I lean on to catch and hold my interest in a book — the set up (in between all the sex scenes) and the climactic big battle and the introduction of various side characters was technically well done. The pace was good, the writing is fine, and I’m curious enough about Theo to pick up the next book in the series when it comes out.
This story draws heavily from Vietnamese elements, which adds a wonderful and unique flavor to Nhi’s world. It also hasA Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
This story draws heavily from Vietnamese elements, which adds a wonderful and unique flavor to Nhi’s world. It also has four characters who have unique views on the world and have, I believe, neurodivergant traits.
The author has an effortless style, and the book was so easy to read. I could have kept going for a few hundred more pages, easily. (And if there are sequels to this book, I’ll be more than happy to grab them.) The world building gives just enough to support the story without bogging things down with exposition, and the tanglers are effectively written to be quite horrifying. The characters are so very well drawn and so very human, and I really enjoyed how each one was given their moment both to fall … and then to rise again.
This story takes place in the same universe as K.L. Hiers’ Cold Hard Cash series, but is in itself a standalone. While A Joyfully Jay review.
3 stars
This story takes place in the same universe as K.L. Hiers’ Cold Hard Cash series, but is in itself a standalone. While Cold, Jimmy, and the Gentlemen show up, Trev isn’t exactly interested in getting to know them. He has his mind on two things: Jupiter and getting gone. So, even having no idea about Cold or any of the other characters, you can easily read this without having read the other books. However, I have read the Cold Hard Cash series and enjoyed the books, and this left me really on the fence with this story.
The parts of the book that worked for me weren’t the parts that the story focused on; I didn’t care for the romance, though it’s nice to see Trev get his arm candy. I found the world building to be flat, and the introduction of the various Gentlemen and Jimmy — who I have enjoyed more in previous books — was so rushed, with everyone feeling too two dimensional. But Trev and Cash had a spark. They’re the best part of this book.
I loved the first book in the Thorn & Thistle series, which you don’t need to read before you buy this one (but you shouA Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
I loved the first book in the Thorn & Thistle series, which you don’t need to read before you buy this one (but you should), and I think I love this one even more. Is there a score higher than 5? Sometimes a sequel isn’t as good as the first book in a series, but this one is better, in different way. While MJ and Cassie do show up, I mean, it is MJ’s shop after all, they don’t intrude on the story. (I kind of regret that a little since I really do love them, but this is Jamie and Sierra’s story, so I suppose they had to get top billing.)
Jamie is responsible. Mature. Determined to do the right thing, even if it costs her her own happiness. The one time she forgets to unlock the shop, she all but has a panick attack because it’s a failure on her part, a sign that she isn’t capable of handling everything on her own. She’s struggling to be a good parent to her teenage old daughter, who lives with her mother the majority of the time, even as she feels Riley pulling away. Jamie wants a relationship, not a fling, but being in a relationship means she has less attention to spare for the thousand and one details that she has chosen to put on her own shoulders.
I loved the first book in the Thorn & Thistle series, which you don’t need to read before you buy this one (but you should), and I think I love this one even more. Is there a score higher than 5? Sometimes a sequel isn’t as good as the first book in a series, but this one is better, in different way. While MJ and Cassie do show up, I mean, it is MJ’s shop after all, they don’t intrude on the story. (I kind of regret that a little since I really do love them, but this is Jamie and Sierra’s story, so I suppose they had to get top billing.)
Jamie is responsible. Mature. Determined to do the right thing, even if it costs her her own happiness. The one time she forgets to unlock the shop, she all but has a panick attack because it’s a failure on her part, a sign that she isn’t capable of handling everything on her own. She’s struggling to be a good parent to her teenage old daughter, who lives with her mother the majority of the time, even as she feels Riley pulling away. Jamie wants a relationship, not a fling, but being in a relationship means she has less attention to spare for the thousand and one details that she has chosen to put on her own shoulders.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here....more
I want to start this review by stating, as a simple fact: I love this book. This is a wonderful, poignant, cruel, and thA Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
I want to start this review by stating, as a simple fact: I love this book. This is a wonderful, poignant, cruel, and thoughtful book and I want you to love it as much as I do. It’s a story about selfishness, the selfishness of wanting to live, of wanting to be worth living. Of grabbing hold of your own destiny — even if it comes from stealing someone else’s — and grief, loss, love, and the pain of love. Of loving who you can’t, not being able to love as you should, doubting the worth of your love, doubting your own worthiness and whether you even deserve love.
There is a gamut of emotions that come through in this well-written, well-researched, and frankly wonderful book. From monks to governor’s wives, from thieves to generals, wives, sons, and daughters, from to farmers and soldiers, there is no person in this book untouched as we bear witness to the rise and fall of Zhu Chonbga. And I loved every minute of it. It reminds me of one of my favorite all time series in the sheer amount of emotion this book was able to wring out of me, and will be one of my top three books in my favorites list this year.
I want to start this review by stating, as a simple fact: I love this book. This is a wonderful, poignant, cruel, and thoughtful book and I want you to love it as much as I do. It’s a story about selfishness, the selfishness of wanting to live, of wanting to be worth living. Of grabbing hold of your own destiny — even if it comes from stealing someone else’s — and grief, loss, love, and the pain of love. Of loving who you can’t, not being able to love as you should, doubting the worth of your love, doubting your own worthiness and whether you even deserve love.
There is a gamut of emotions that come through in this well-written, well-researched, and frankly wonderful book. From monks to governor’s wives, from thieves to generals, wives, sons, and daughters, from to farmers and soldiers, there is no person in this book untouched as we bear witness to the rise and fall of Zhu Chonbga. And I loved every minute of it. It reminds me of one of my favorite all time series in the sheer amount of emotion this book was able to wring out of me, and will be one of my top three books in my favorites list this year.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here....more
Caleb may have the height of a warrior — standing 6’4” at only 17 — but alas, he has the heart of a caretaker. WhichA Joyfully Jay review.
4.75 stars
Caleb may have the height of a warrior — standing 6’4” at only 17 — but alas, he has the heart of a caretaker. Which means when standing up for a girl being bullied by Ian Summers, Caleb ends up on his ass in the lunchroom, trying to not get hit. It’s not the first time he’s been in this situation. Something about Caleb’s awkward caution and gentle, hesitant nature have made him a bully magnet since … well, forever. And coming to his rescue, as always, is none other than Emma.
Everything was wrapped up in a tidy bow at the end, and I was pleased with how the characters got to their final destination. I hope you give this book a try!
The events in the story are nicely presented, from the Dust Bowl to the nuclear bomb testing at Bikini Atoll, bringinA Joyfully Jay review.
3.5 stars
The events in the story are nicely presented, from the Dust Bowl to the nuclear bomb testing at Bikini Atoll, bringing such world altering events to a more immediate, more personal focus. Isaac watching the Mary Rose being salvaged as a nice callback to Isaac’s time on the USS Houston, a warship lost in World War II, much as the avalanche at the beginning and the earthquake at the end mirror one another, both leaving Isaac shaken, while at the same time tossing him onto the next step in his journey.
Isaac doesn’t really have a strong voice as a character, however.
There will be people who truly love this book, but I didn’t. What I did enjoy was the writing. The author has such a warm, friendly style, so very easy to read. Somehow the whole book passed from page one to the end without me noticing.
Loading...
