|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
my rating |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1250877318
| 9781250877314
| 1250877318
| 4.15
| 559
| Jun 25, 2024
| Jun 25, 2024
|
really liked it
|
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Trade, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audio review copy of this book to read and give my honest opinion. All
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Trade, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audio review copy of this book to read and give my honest opinion. All opinions expressed here are my own. Kosera lives in a walled city full of monsters. As a Witch, she's spent her days fighting them. But there's one monster she has not defeated, her ex The Zmey. Betrayed by a close friend, she loses her shadow, the source of her witch powers. To get her shadow back, she'll have to pair with a cop from the other side of the wall who is investigating the mysterious death of the smuggler who helped Kosera get to the other side of the wall. With time running out, can Kosera find her shadow and defeat her ultimate nemesis while ensuring those closest to her aren't the ones betraying her? I love the idea of this book. Witches, monsters, and a walled city. It reminds me of so many fantasies I've read. But the twists are totally different from anything I've ever read before. I really enjoyed the world building and history behind it. I don't know much about Slavic folklore at all, so this was a great introduction. And the two cities the author builds out are perfect for showing the differences between poverty and privilege, a perfect commentary on so much of what we see in modern day society. I enjoyed the characters in the book. Particularly Kosera and Asen. They are both developed well. I found it easy to connect with Kosera. Much more so than Asen. Their relationship is quite interesting. But if you're looking for romance, you're not really going to find it in this installment. There is attraction there and something brewing but it does not go anywhere further than Kosera admitting to it and a few chaste kisses. Each of them is packing a lot of trauma from the past which ultimately gets in the way of anything blooming between them during their time together. But this is not a romantasy, though I don't know what will happen in the future. As for the narrator, I did enjoy her voice. I think she did a great job with the voices of the characters for the most part. Though I do feel like she could have had a bit more of a difference between a few of the characters to be able to tell them apart. Overall, I would listen to other books by her. I will say, I've not really read anything like this book before. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author gives a fast paced story full of rich plot and interesting characters. The details are vivid and paint an amazing picture. I'm excited to see where the story goes in the next book! ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
May 26, 2024
|
Jun 14, 2024
|
May 26, 2024
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 1250365317
| 9781250365316
| 1250365317
| 3.86
| 476
| Jul 09, 2024
| Jul 09, 2024
|
it was amazing
|
Thank you to Tor Books, Mcmillain Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expr
Thank you to Tor Books, Mcmillain Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. In a world ruled by dragons, humans are of no consequence. Anahrod has lived her life far away from her home and prefers to stay hidden given the circumstances of her departure. When a band of misfits saves her and asks that she help them steal a dragon's hoard, she's thrown back into the world she has been hiding from for years. But it's no secret those from her home think she is dead after being banished for crimes she didn't commit. One dragon wants to see her dead and it's up to her and her found family to ensure the cloud cities are saved from destruction by a rouge dragon who wants it all. It's so hard for me to review fantasy books without spoilers. But I'm going to try my best not to give too much away. One thing I will say, I rarely if ever see fantasy books that are stand alone. For the author to take on such a task is substantial and I give her major props for doing it. Because of this, the story is broken into many different parts, almost as if you are starting new books with each part. However, there is the allusion that the story doesn't quite end, especially with the epilogue she provides. I'd love to see her spin more of this and see where it goes. First I want to say that I absolutely love Lauren Fortgang as the narrator for this story. Her voice is the perfect cadence for fantasy. The way she portrays each character with depth, the way she is able to show their differentiation with just the slightest adjustment to her tone, makes the story so much more enjoyable than any other narrator could have. The world Lyons builds in this story is very unique. I saw dragons and knew I needed to see what it was about. Think Game of Thrones meets Fourth Wing meets Six of Crows with just a bit of Ninth House thrown in. But unlike Fourth Wing, the bond between dragon and rider in this story is different. The dragons hold much more power, with the riders almost being somewhat of a slaves to them. And still, teens enter the academic school that will train them to take on this task. I would have liked to see a bit more of the academia in this book, but I also understand it was not at all about the school as much as the politics of the dragons versus the people. I loved the dichotomy she builds with the Skylanders (the rich) versus the Deep (the poor). And the way she describes these places had an almost Avatar like quality. Cities floating in the clouds and places deep in the ungle. As I read along, my mind just kept flashing back to the movie and how the world looked. Lyons weaves magic and powers into the story seamlessly. Dragons have magic to breath poison or fire, teleport to other places, and a slew of other powers. And the humans also possess powers which are referred to as blessings. Underlying the magic and world building is a heist which has the characters always hiding, always running, always trying to find ways out of sticky situations. It made for an action packed story. I think my most favorite thing about this story was the diverse cast of characters Lyons builds. Given I listened to this it was harder for me to know exactly what the names looked like: Aanhrod, Sicaryon, Gwyndion, Claw, Ris: names I could not have understood how to spell (thankful for my fellow reviewers who had Kindle or print copies to help me out!). The characters are very relatable and easy to understand. Some are brash, some are quirky, but all are well developed and distinct and on top of that they feel real. There is a lot of banter, many laugh out loud moments, and many tender moments during the story. The characters all have different motives and skill sets but ultimately these differences prove essential to the bonds they form and to the dynamic we see amongst them. Lyons addresses gender differences and sexual preferences with depth and a wide berth of understanding. I loved her twist on transgender and also how none of the characters are surprised by relationships no matter who they are between making it a queer-norm story. Her system of rings denoted gender and other preferences was really genius and made the LBGTQ+ inclusion easy and so much more meaningful for the reader. And I enjoyed the poly relationship, though I don't usually love those. Lyons did a good job not making me want to smack all involved. And, while the romance is there, it certainly is not the main plot. While the world building is complex, the story is not. Though there is much intrigue and politics involved in the world, the main idea of taking back their world from rogue dragons is easy to understand. Overall Lyons created a fun, fast, original, and entertaining story with a unique world and a wonderfully varied cast of characters that completely held my attention from beginning to end. I really enjoyed being part of it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jun 25, 2024
|
Jul 2024
|
May 23, 2024
|
Audiobook
| ||||||||||||||
| 0593617320
| 9780593617328
| 0593617320
| 3.88
| 225
| May 21, 2024
| May 21, 2024
|
liked it
|
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with a finished copy and egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions express
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with a finished copy and egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. First things first, I did not know this was third in a series. When the publisher contacted me, I read the summary and it sounded like a cute YA romance. I love a cute YA romance so I said yes! I'm not sure if perhaps having read the first two books and being introduced to some of the characters before hand would have made this one better for me or not. This can totally be read as a stand alone. But there are cross over characters and I would be interested to see if knowing them may have changed my opinions. Jordan Edelman is going to Nantucket to spend the Summer with her cartography researching father. She's hoping to be able to bond with him from this shared experience. She's also sworn off any potential messy romance as they have never gone well for her. She has an encounter with a boy on her boat ride to the island who turns out to be her father's assistant that she's heard about for the past few summers: Ethan Barnabel. She has a streak of jealousy over this boy's relationship with her father that she's determined to overcome. But as she and Ethan are put in more and more situations where they must interact, including her living in his parent's house for the summer, something blossoms. Can she have the romance that's always alluded her? Or will being with Ethan ruin her? I love the setting of this book. This is not the first book series I've seen set on Nantucket. I love the idea of being at the beach all summer; surrounded by the ocean, sand and sun. There's something about this setting that is very romantic for me and it becomes the perfect back drop for summer love to blossom. It takes me back to the days I used to spend on the shore of Long Island or New Jersey when I was a young girl. This nostalgia really drew me into the book. The plot was just ok for me. I liked the science behind what was presented: astronomy, cartography. But I did find the plot was slow to move. I really wanted something a little more fast paced for a YA book. The inclusion of history was interesting, though I think a bit overdone. While I enjoyed the journal entries the author included, I thought there were way too many of them. It seemed a little overdone and I didn't feel like they all were related to the story. It actually took me out of the story many times and slowed down my reading pace. I had to push to get through them so I could see what else might happen between the main characters. My other plot line issue was the Judaism. Its inclusion just seemed so side bar to me. Like it was included because the author wanted to show the characters as Jewish. It didn't seem to truly lend anything to the characters' development. Using Shabbos and talking about the high holidays just seemed to be thrown in to try and give the story Jewish identity. But it didn't do that for me as a Jew. I wish the author would have used that identity more. It felt I would have liked to feel more of a connection with the characters. I didn't find Jordan appealing. Ethan was romantic and fun but it was hard to get to truly know him having only seen him from Jordan's point of view. And their romance seemed a bit forced. I didn't feel the chemistry I wanted to feel. I didn't feel like there was anything really connecting them. Sure, they had her father in common, but in the end them being together seemed odd. And them wanting to stay together even more so. There was no real closure to their romance. Overall this book was just ok for me, nothing special. I can see how it might appeal to the more scholarly teens overall. But for the most part I didn't feel excited to move through it, I just wanted to get to the end. 3 stars ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Apr 27, 2024
|
May 2024
|
Apr 27, 2024
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0593650956
| 9780593650950
| 0593650956
| 4.05
| 659
| May 21, 2024
| May 21, 2024
|
liked it
|
I want to thank Random House Children's Books and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opini
I want to thank Random House Children's Books and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. When you need money, you'll go to just about any extreme to get it. That's why Natalie Hart signs up for the reality TV show, Wild Adventures. But when her sunshine is paired with grumpy Finn Marcum, she's sure she's chosen wrong. Through their adventures, they grow close, and from the forced proximity a friendship, and more, evolves. But can they ultimately win the money, and each other's hearts? I love a good YA romance. They are clean and fun and the tension between the characters is fun to watch. I was prepared for a slow burn from this one but the love interest actually took off sooner than I thought it would. Either way it was fun to watch the two main characters have their adventures. Natalie started off as a high maintenance girl. She fills her backpack with all types of skin care products she refuses to leave behind. And, being a drama major with the hopes of becoming an actress, she talks up the cameras a lot. At first it turned me off a bit. But then she slowly transforms into more than just what you see on the outside. She has so many nuances to her character. Hill did a great job in helping her evolve and develop. It was fun to watch her learn. Finn, on the other hand, is Mr. Grumpy, and I was not a fan of his at first. He was very standoffish and definitely erected a wall between himself and Natalie. But she slowly wears that wall away, and helps him find more of his own sunshine. I wasn't all in for the chemistry with these two. I think this was mostly because it was told in first person from only Natalies point of view. For me, romances work so much better in dual point of view. It seemed to me the author was more interested in telling Natalie's story than Finn's but at the same time, I don't feel like I truly go to know Finn. Natalie's personality and character overshadowed him. The plot was fun. I love a good survivor type show and this one gave me those feels. It was also nice to see the history of the Appalachian Trail worked into the story line. I enjoyed learning the tidbits the author chose to share. I don't know much about Kentucky or Tennessee so it was fun to learn that a bit. I especially liked that the author chose to incorporate Natalie's anxiety into the plot line. This is such a wide spread mental illness that so many do not even know they have. The author took good care to show the spirals that happen with anxiety and also giving the audience information on how such things can be handled: therapy, medications, meditation, etc. I felt like the side characters were fun but would have liked to see a bit more of them. I feel like the only character I understood anything about was the female enemy. We got what she was all about right away. Overall the characters were relatable and real. I can see how people would easily see themselves in these characters. The pacing was good with this book. I wasn't truly hooked until the romance took off, to be honest, which seemed to be about half way through the story. I enjoyed watching the banter between this unlikely couple. Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was cute. This was my first Hill book and it seems her books are connected through her characters. But you can definitely read this one as a stand alone. I think readers who enjoy Lynn Painter, Kasie West, and Stephanie Perkins will enjoy books by this author. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Apr 18, 2024
|
Apr 24, 2024
|
Apr 18, 2024
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0593438213
| 9780593438213
| 0593438213
| 3.77
| 5,078
| Jun 18, 2024
| Jun 18, 2024
|
liked it
|
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinion expre
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinion expressed here are my own. Natalie is a budding writer. Rob is an academic. Thrown together for their best friends' wedding, they are forced to interact despite seemingly hating each other. When Natalie finds out Rob gave her book a one-star review, she is determined to never like him. But over their years from their 20s to their 30s they get thrown together over and over again and find what they thought was making them enemies was actually an attraction they might not be able to avoid. I loved the idea of this book. Two people who couldn't be more different continuously thrown together only to find they can't stay away. A perfect enemies to friends to lovers trope. And also a those who are meant to be will be. Because despite their years apart, and the relationships those years bring, they always end up back in each other's orbit. The pacing in this book was a medium pace. I was neither drawn to pick it up and continue reading nor was I disliking it. There's a lot of humor used in the book as well as sarcasm, which may or may not be easily understood by the reader. This is my first book by this author and I thought her writing was good. I liked the dual POV but then the author snuck in third person omniscient POV from a side characters and that was just really weird. Also the third person POV sometimes made it hard to realize whose POV I was actually reading and took me out of the story trying to figure it out. Given the jumps in time, I felt like this needed to be more clear and it was very frustrating at times that it was not. Natalie was a fairly relatable character. I did find her a bit whiny and really wanted her to take hold of her life which seemed all over the place. It was like she was constantly having trouble becoming an adult. I also found her obsession with Gabby, her best friend, a little odd. Her life kind of revolved around Gabby and how she could always keep them being friends despite them forming their own lives as they get older. And she doesn't take any kind of responsibility for her actions but likes to think all the bad things that happen to her and due to outside forces she cannot control. In fact, she creates these situations on her own and it's not until the end of the book that we see her shift into understanding the need to take hold of your own life. It seems the point of Natalie's character was to show how you can only rely on yourself, but it took a super long time for Natalie to come to that conclusions and felt a bit dragged out. I liked Rob's character. He was extremely pragmatic. And the fact that he was willing to accept a relationship which he thought of as love but was certainly not was a testament to the damage caused by his relationship with his father. You can see he has never received praise from the man and that has caused him to too easily accept a life he truly doesn't want and is not happy with. Their romance was a very slow burn. But I will say, I never truly felt the pull between them. I just felt like they were always angry at each other and much of the time for no reason. Natalie carried her grudge of Rob's one star review but didn't take responsibility for what she actually wrote in the book and how it might affect others. The romance definitely didn't feel like the central plot to this book, which I kind of wanted it to be given the enemies to lovers trope. The plot line rumbled along throughout most of the book and I felt like I just kept waiting and waiting for something to happen between Rob and Natalie which I know was the point but it felt a bit drawn out. I knew there would be something huge that would bring them together at some point. I wasn't thrilled with what it was. I cannot imagine the plot turn that happened would be the reason these two would finally realize they wanted each other. Maybe it was the "you only have one life" and "you never know what might happen" vibe that did it but it wasn't completely clear. Overall, this was a cute read. It's a commentary on how to navigate the shifts in life as you get older. It touches on friendships, love, loss, Dementia, cancer, and the pandemic as it's told over a 10 year time span. This one will be good for an easy and fast beach or pool read for the summer. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
May 12, 2024
|
May 22, 2024
|
Apr 17, 2024
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 1496748352
| 9781496748355
| 1496748352
| 3.80
| 1,025
| Jun 25, 2024
| Jun 25, 2024
|
it was ok
|
Review to come...I'll just say one thing now before I post it, thank goodness that's over. I want to thank Kensington and Edelweiss for providing me wi Review to come...I'll just say one thing now before I post it, thank goodness that's over. I want to thank Kensington and Edelweiss for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Information is power. For Alana Beaumont, that information is through social media. Reeling from her brother's death, she finds herself the heir to Aquarius Social. Thorn Beathatch is a recluse. As the owner of his own social media company, he's done whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and doesn't let anything get in his way. But he has a weakness and that's Alana. He's obsessed with making her his, even if that means kidnapping her. But, when his life is on the line, the enemies find themselves turning to each other to figure out how to save him. And how to solve the mystery of how Alana's brother died. Can they put aside their differences and hate to help each other come out on top? Let's start with what I liked. I love a good retelling. Especially based on the beloved Beauty and the Beast story. I've always connected with Belle and her love for reading. Add into this story some dark romance, and I'm all in. I was expecting a fabulous story of enemies to lovers with some outrageous sexy times. What I got was not what I expected at all. The cover of this book is absolutely stunning. I'm a sucker for a great cover (yes, I do judge books by their cover). And it's being offered with pretty sprayed edges. This is what initially drew me to the book. The blurb totally drew me to this story. I really wanted to watch this enemies to lovers dark romance bloom. I'm a sucker for a good villain story. And, I expected some darkness. I don't have triggers so I was good with whatever the author brought forth. Finally, I enjoyed most of the spicy moments. I do love me some good kink and fun. That's about where my likes ended, unfortunately. I just don't think this book was for me, even though I wanted it to be. I could not connect with the characters. I didn't like them. I didn't feel anything for them. I was hoping to watch them develop and grow and it just didn't happen. Thorn is an obsessive stalker who is battling a curse that is killing him. While I like a good bad guy, I didn't find his brand of badness or love endearing at all. It was just toxic. I thought maybe he'd grow and change during the book. But it didn't happen. All he wanted to do was have possession of Alana and ultimately punish her for all the wrongs he thought she was committing towards him. He presented these things as him loving her and wanting her, but it didn't come across that way. But why was he so obsessed with her? This is never addressed. Alana was a very flat character. There's zero girl power with her. I wanted emotion. I needed to watch her flounder with being drawn to Thorn's brand of love, but I didn't really see it. She lets him do whatever he wants and she's ok with it. She kind of questions it but it's never a deep dive and her questions never seem to sway her away from him at any point. There's no point in which I felt she was truly getting anything, including pleasure, out of their relationship. Their connection just was not there. I saw the author trying to make it happen with banter and a bit of interest in each character learning about the other, but ultimately it just didn't work for me. It failed to show any romance at all. There was never a moment where I felt like the main characters finally connected and realized why they should be together. And I understand the nature of this relationship, a little Stockholm Syndrome is intriguing. But I never bought into her actually falling for him. The world building and magic system were lacking for me. This is super important in a fantasy book, even if it's billed as a dark romance. The crystal technology and how it worked was totally lost on me. There were times in the book when the characters were speaking in what I assume was some kind of IT lingo but I just didn't understand what was going on. How are the characters connected to the crystals? What happened in the past to make it happen? There were quite a few plot holes throughout the book. Normally I can overlook them if they are simple, but these were gapping for me. I also felt like the book just ended. The main mystery in the book is solved but there's not real conclusion through the epilogue provided. There were some interesting plot lines introduced but they weren't fleshed out well. And we're never given any real reason for the curse that plagues Thorn throughout the book or why the people who cursed him did so in the first place. I will admit, I pushed myself to finish in the hopes there would be some redemption for me in the end but I didn't get it. The set up of the plot was initially interesting and unique but the ending felt a bit rushed and almost like the author wasn't sure how to pull it full circle and wrap it up. I appreciate this is the author's first dark romance and I do think her concept is interesting. I am not sure I'll continue with this series as I don't think this author's brand of writing is for me. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jun 09, 2024
|
Jun 17, 2024
|
Apr 16, 2024
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0593816838
| 9780593816837
| 0593816838
| 3.79
| 2,456
| Jul 09, 2024
| Jul 09, 2024
|
really liked it
|
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for supplying me with an egalley of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions exp
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for supplying me with an egalley of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Ian Chase endured a very public breakup that forced him to leave his home and his friends behind for 6 years. Finally back where he feels he's meant to be, he's surprised to find his childhood friend and local baking show sensation, Delilah Baker, all grown up and not at all the "kid" she once was. Delilah has been in love with Ian since she was a teen, but he'd never seen her that way. Now they have to work together to try and help Ian's reputation and increase her ratings by pretending to be romantically involved. But there's nothing pretend about their attraction or how they truly want each other without the other knowing. But Ian is keeping secrets about his past. Will their true romance gown down the drain when Lila learns of Ian's "sordid" past? I have really enjoyed Ferguson's other books so I was excited to see her branch into a sports romance. It turns out it really doesn't matter what Ferguson writes, it's all fun and romance and sexy, spicy times that have a good plot to go along with it! As with her other books, the pacing on this one is spot on. I would reluctantly put this one down only because, you know, a girl does need her beauty sleep. But I didn't want to because each chapter had me itching to see what happened next. I love dual point of view for romance books. I feel it gives such a deeper connection to the characters. Makes them more real and believable. This is no exception. I'm glad to see we got to enter both Ian and Delilah's head spaces and learn what made them tick. I was happy to see there was more to this plot than just sexy times. While I kind of figured out the twist that was Ian's secret, I still enjoyed watching it unfold. And what I loved most about this book was SPOILER no third act break up. This helped me love the characters that much more as they were able to communicate with one another and support one another through their hard times. While I know the third act trope is used in most romance books, it's always refreshing to have things be more realistic when it comes to character understanding one another. Delilah was a delight. I really connected with her personality and I loved that she wasn't a willowy beauty but was more realistic in stature and body type. And her passion for baking was really fun as I love to bake. I also love to watch cooking shows, so that drew me right in. Ian, on the other hand, seemed a pretty standard type for a hockey player, though he's a ginger and I haven't seen that done a lot in the romance books I've read. He's fiercely protective of those he loves, which endeared me to him right away. His relationship with his father was taught with angst and power playing. I despised his father, as well anyone should with how he treated Ian. The side characters, Abby, Jack, Ava, and Ian's other teammates were loveable. I will say I really liked the banter between Ian and Delilah. It helped to solidify their attraction. And the brother's best friend trope is always one that's interesting to see unfold. Plus fake dating never really works out to just be that, right? There's a bit of an age gap between Ian and Lilah, as well, but it's not huge, so I'm not sure the age gap trope truly applies here. While most romance books sell themselves on excessive drama, I don't find that with Ferguson's books. Which makes me love her stories even more. I mean, there's some drama, how could there not be to make the plot somewhat interesting, but it's not this I want to throw the book across the room why did you rip my heart out drama I see in many other books of this genre. My only issue with this book was the true connection between the FMC and MMC. They are childhood friends, so the past is there. But we don't really get the sense of how close they were. Sure, the characters allude to their past, but flashbacks would have been a great addition to understanding why they might go from friends to lovers. Plus I found the whole teenage obsession with Ian rolling over into her adulthood a little unrealistic. They haven't seen each other in years (seems like since she was a teen though the timeline was a bit confusing on that). And she's dated other guys. But why would she still be obsessed with Ian? I needed a better foundation for it. Overall, I adored the book and will definitely continue to read anything Ferguson decides to write. I'm looking forward to Loch and Key for sure! ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jun 27, 2024
|
Jun 29, 2024
|
Apr 08, 2024
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 1368092837
| 9781368092838
| 1368092837
| 4.02
| 6,368
| Jun 25, 2024
| Jun 25, 2024
|
liked it
|
Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed her
Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Ren has been sheltered all her life but now she's branching out to go to college. But even with this new adventure, her parents insist she comes back to the homestead on weekends and won't let her tell anyone where she lives. It's been like this all her life and she never thought it was odd. Until she meets Fitz, and goes on a cross country adventure with him to investigate some DNA results she got from her class at school. Along the way she has many firsts, including finding herself attracted to Fitz. But her parents won't have any of it and find her only to drag her back home. But turns out there's more to her parents and her life than she could have ever imagined. I love Christina Lauren and all their books. Of course I needed a chance to read this one and see what it was about. It's very different from their usual romance. If you're looking for a typical Lauren book, this won't be it. But it's a cute story. It's a reimagining of a modern day Rapunzel story. And it's dual POV, which I love in a romantic story. Ren is oddly sheltered, having grown up home schooled with parents who insisted they be totally self-sufficient on their homestead. College is a totally different animal for her. One where she learns there's more to life than only what her parents have presented. She's a naive character but at the same time has fairly good instincts about people. I think this is what saves her character for me. Because while she's been sheltered all her life, she still managed to walk away with a good head on her shoulders. Fitz is damaged goods. Or at least that's what he believes. He doesn't like to let anyone in and doesn't like for people to know about his past. He's determined to graduate and make something of himself, and seek revenge all at the same time. He didn't need Ren in his life to change how he feels about his plan, but there she is. And, while he comes across as locked up, he really just needed the right person in his life to help him open up and see what he can truly make of himself. I kind of figured out the underlying plot line early on. Something never sat right for me with Ren's parents. They were odd and still insisting on sheltering her at the age of 22 seemed very off to me. The romance is definitely part of the story, but it's really not the main plot line. If you're looking for the usual spice that accompanies Lauren's books, you won't find it here. You'll find some light romance and attraction. But the book truly reads more like a YA book. The main plot is really Ren coming into herself and learning what she needs to do to be an independent woman. If you're looking for a cute fast reading romantic adventure a la Disney style with a bit of a mysterious twist, jump into this one. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
May 27, 2024
|
May 27, 2024
|
Mar 15, 2024
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0593550420
| 9780593550427
| 0593550420
| 3.74
| 71,600
| Jun 11, 2024
| Jun 11, 2024
|
it was amazing
|
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed here are
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own, Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a great job as a biotech engineer, a roof over her head, and a few good friends. When a hostile takeover occurs and she meets Eli Kilgore, the chemistry is undeniable, but they are off limits to each other given the circumstances of their employment. They try to scrub each other from their systems but they keep getting pulled back into each other's orbits. And, given the reasoning Eli has for overtaking Rue's company, a rift may form between them that is impossible to fix. I eat up anything Hazelwood writes. Every time she has a new book, it becomes my favorite. And I knew going into this one that it would be a bit different from her previous book. But, as always, she is Queen of STEM and knows just how to write characters that are quirky, relatable, interesting, and endearing with emotional baggage that always comes to the surface to create tension and angst. I could not put this one down. I enjoyed every bit of the character development, plot, and spice! Yes, this one is quite spicy, on a different level than her other STEM books in my opinion. If you're into closed door romance, this one is not for her. Enemies to lovers trop is one of my favorite, along with dual POV which gets me into the heads of both the main characters. Rue, as with many of Hazelwood's female characters, has some latent childhood trauma that causes her to shirk most relationships. She jumps off the page as grumpy, rather than full of sunshine. But it's her social anxiety that makes her this way. She's also not built like everyone else and tends to be a loner. She doesn't believe she is capable of love, so quick one night stands are her thing. She doesn't expect for Eli to make her feel things she never knew she could. I love how smart she is. She's also very no nonsense. There's nothing shy about her and she doesn't come across as a woman who won't go after what she wants. Eli: tall, ex-hockey player (YES PLEASE!), science type who is not afraid to go after what he wants, both in the boardroom and in the bedroom. He's a very layered character. I loved that he was explicitly involved in science while still having that knowledge. At first, I was not sure where Hazelwood would take that aspect as I'm used to seeing both her main characters being part of the science world, but his involvement just worked. Wew, when I say this man creates hot tension, I am not joking. His emotional damage comes in the form of loss and being thrown into becoming a parent when he wasn't even sure he could care for himself. He's fascinating in his interactions with his friends and his sister. He's a boy obsessed in this book. There is nothing he wants more than to have Rue as his own, in whatever way she'll give herself to him. Even if he may get hurt in the process. And he's so patient with Rue, letting her open and blossom and giving her just the push she needs to be more than she thinks she can be. He's attentive and very aware of her needs. He really sees her for who she is and never pushes her to be someone she is not giving her the time and space she needs. Was I angry that he withheld things from her, just a bit. But I did understand his reasoning. At the same time, he's almost feral when it comes to what he wants in the bedroom, and this makes him a bit more unexpected for me. The spice and humor in this book are great. I don't think Hazelwood's spicy scenes have made me squirm before but this one totally did. I was literally sweating while reading some of it. There's a bit of kink in the sexy scenes I totally was not expecting and I have to say I loved that Hazelwood went there. It was unexpected given the nature of and level of spice in her previous works. And there is actual plot here. It's not just sex page after page, it's characters experiencing trauma and loss and how they grow and change to fit new roles that were unexpected. I will say I saw from the beginning the rift that would happen but I was invested on how the book would unfold it and get to where it needed to be. There are a lot of subjects touched on and explored: food insecurity, child neglect, social anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy. Hazelwood explores these with a deft and delicate hand. As with all of Hazelwood's books, my chest felt heavy many times during reading with the anticipation of how things would blow up and be resolved. The tension she creates is up there with what I feel when I read Christina Lauren's books. And it's what keeps me wanting to turn the pages. I enjoyed how Hazelwood incorporated the politics of business. While she writes very much from a science perspective, we have rarely seen how these politics truly change the world in which the characters live. Initially, I wasn't sure I would like this aspect and how it was integrated into the lives of the characters. It took me longer to become emotionally attached to the people in this book than it has in previous Hazelwood books. Definitely much more of a slow burn when it came to my investment in wanting to see where the story led. But once I saw how that slow burn needed to happen in order for the book to progress, I understood the need to have some emotional distance from the characters at the beginning. Once again, Hazelwood has given me a book I love. I truly enjoyed how different this was from her previous works while still incorporating the STEM aspect. There's definitely more of a focus on the business world in this book while the science part is more in the background. Hazelwood knocked it out of the park with this book. I just have one request for Hazelwood: please, please, please continue to write in dual POV because it truly brings the stories you write to new heights! ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Jul 12, 2024
May 06, 2024
|
Jul 16, 2024
May 08, 2024
|
Feb 20, 2024
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0063329581
| 9780063329584
| 0063329581
| 3.72
| 817
| May 21, 2024
| May 21, 2024
|
really liked it
|
Thank you to Avon who sent me an advanced copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Delfina Silva-Mi Thank you to Avon who sent me an advanced copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Delfina Silva-Miller is having some bad luck. She's out a boyfriend, a roommate, an apartment, and a job! She finds herself back in her hometown; a place she never thought she would return. And a place where she experienced heartache, lonliness, and abandonment. She finds herself interacting with her childhood nemesis, Edgardo. As she tries to get her life back together, she slowly realizes perhaps her hometown was not as bad as she thought it was and perhaps the one person she thought she hated might be the soul mate she never thought she'd have. This was a fabulous debut for Betty Corrello. She did a wonderful job with her character development, her plot line, and her pacing. I went into this book thinking there would be a bit more romance than there was. And I thought I would be disappointed. But I was, in fact, very pleased with how this story progressed. I was happy the story was not all romance and spice. The plot was focused on Del's growth and her experience as she comes to terms with who she is and where she wants her life to go. Throughout the book she learns to open her heart more and more. She learns forgiveness and love. Del is a great character. I love that she's almost thirty and is still struggling with being an adult. This is such a true representation of what we are seeing these days with people returning to home as they try to put their life in order. So many people struggle with being an adult at such an early age and then feeling they failed because they are not able to pull it off. She's vulnerable and definitely wears that on her sleeve, despite not wanting to do so. Edgardo is so sweet and tender. I love that he's a hometown guy who truly enjoys where he lives. And I love how his experiences didn't make him an angry person but show that he was capable of great growth. And his relationship with his family is so fun. I loved watching the banter between them. I really enjoyed the flashbacks Corrello incorporated into the story. They gave amazing background on the relationship between Del and Eddie and how they had this intrinsic push and pull toward and away from each other over the course of their teen years. Many of their moments were filled with what they termed hate but really was them fighting their attraction to one another. It totally reminded me of the relationships I had in high school. There was lots of humor used in this book to form the relationship between the characters. We are told many times how funny Del is and you can feel this with her interactions with Eddie, her grandmother, her father, and a few of the other side characters in the book. One thing that pulled me out of the story was not having much of a background from the last ten years Del has spent away from her hometown and Eddie. I need more of what she truly experienced during that time. We do get some of this for Eddie, but also not as much as I would have liked to truly shape him and show us why he is the way he is. Since the entire book is told from Del's point of view, we never truly know what's going on in Eddie's head. I feel like having his point of view would have really helped with being able to form a better opinion on his character. This was a great summer or beach read. Something easy to move your mind into feel good stuff. A second chance romance that is sweet and slow to burn. An exploration of relationships, love, and friendships and how these all help shape a life. An impressive first foray for this author into writing. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
May 17, 2024
|
May 18, 2024
|
Feb 14, 2024
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 1250330459
| 9781250330451
| 1250330459
| 4.12
| 277
| Jun 04, 2024
| Jun 04, 2024
|
it was amazing
|
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Bramble Books for providing me with an audio galley of this book to read and give my honest review. The o
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Bramble Books for providing me with an audio galley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. In this follow up to Calamity, we are reacquainted with Cyn Khaw: a bounty hunter who goes by many names disguising herself as a private investigator who has spent her life hunting her cousin's killer. When she gets a chance to hunt the killer down, she's paired with the crew of the Calamity. But she's given an ultimatum by one of the family's: save her family and herself by turning in Micah, the ship's medic, or lose everything. If you have not read the first book in this series, stop and go read it. Not only was it fabulous, but you will not understand many of the relationships in this book if you do not read that one first. This is definitely not a stand alone. This is the first book I have reviewed in the audio format. I will saw I was skeptical at first; worried the narrator would be computer generated and I would have a hard time getting into the story. I was pleasantly surprised to be hearing Paige Reisenfeld's voice. This is my first audio by this narrator and I thoroughly enjoyed her. Her tone was perfect and she helped me to love the female main character and all her quirks. Cynbaelline Khaw, aka Bella, aka Cyn goes by all the names trying to keep her true identity a secret. I remember her being introduced to us in the first book, though I didn't know it was her at the time. And once this was revealed, the story of her and Michah began to make much more sense. She's sassy and smart and is no stranger to being alone. She has spent her life in her own bubble, keeping her family at arms length and not allowing herself to be involved with anyone more than is necessary to her job. Cyn, to me, doesn't know her worth. And her character certainly develops around this in the book. She doesn't think she deserves to be loved or to have friends. She had to make some truly tough decisions in this book. And, while you initially believe she will only do what is good for herself, you find that's really not who she truly is. She has a big heart and that shines through as the book progresses. Michah Arora is a character I know well from the first book in this series. I loved his character. He's smart and has a great head on his shoulders. He cares a lot about his crew; they are his friends and his found family since his exile. He's super protective of those he loves. And he's got a sense of humor to him that shined for me in this book. He makes light of some more tense situations which helped to ease some of the more tense scenes in the book. I do wish I'd had more from him. Speaking of romance, it's in the book, but it was not the main thing that drove the book. What drives this book is the off planet wonder of a different world, the challenge of finding people in such a large area of space, and the fight that ensues to ensure people are safe. The universe of this series is so large, reminding me of Star Trek or even Star Wars and all the planets and places that are visited in those worlds. The shining point of this book is the action and adventure it brings. Did I like the romance, sure, but it was definitely a very slow burn. And if you are looking for closed door, this is not that. The intimacy scenes are definitely a bit descriptive. But I enjoy that in my romances! And the comedy aspect of this series is really what had me coming back and wanting to read this installment. Fay works it in so well to the story, just as she did with Calamity. Can I just say the ingenuity of creating a lizard that eats metal is genius! I absolutely adored that character and hope to see more of them in future books in this series. Now, the ending has me a little worried as I would love to see more of Cyn and Micah in future books and the ending has me thinking that may not be possible. Though with Cyn's background, I think she could weasel her way into the next book (if there is one). If you're looking for a sci-fi space chases with mystery, romance, fight scenes, and found family, pick up this series and watch is unfold. As my second foray into the space romance genre, I can see it as one of my new favorites. I hope Fay continues the series as I'd love to see more of these space relationships unfurl. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
May 23, 2024
|
May 28, 2024
|
Feb 10, 2024
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0063003104
| 9780063003101
| 0063003104
| 3.69
| 27,666
| Jun 18, 2024
| Jun 18, 2024
|
really liked it
|
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Another mystery/thriller from Lucy Foley that kept me on the edge of my seat. The opening night at The Manor is meant to be spectacular. The land has been transformed into an oppulent high end resort where no expense has been skipped to provide people with the highest quality vacation. But when the secrets of the past slowly start to unearth themselves, you find the guests and those working at The Manor are not all who they seem! Foley has a way of taking multiple point of views and just making it work. I always worry I won't be able to keep everyone straight. Or that having more than one point of view in a mystery/thriller will take me out of the story. But, in reality, having all the points of view, plus journal entries, really helps the story take shape. And it lends to the author's ability to slowly reveal what is really going on and the truths the characters have to face. I also loved how each person in this story is not quite who they seem. They all have more than one identity or something they are hiding that effects the overall thrill and mystery of the story line. The flashbacks with the journal entries really give great background to the characters in the story. It's easy to see how they have changed over the last 15 years and what the actions of their teens set in motion as they turned into adults. I will say I did figure out a few of the mysteries along the way but this didn't detract from me enjoying the story line, I loved the inclusion of the local folklore. In all honesty, I felt like this book might actual take a turn into magical realism with how Foley presented the legend. But I know that's not really her style. And part of a mystery is to leave you wondering how such magical type things are happening when there's not real magic involved. Foley has a knack for creating a tension that keeps you turning the page in a book. As each character develops you find yourself wanting to know just exactly how they fit into the story and what their background is. I also loved the shorter chapters. Short chapters are always something I appreciate. I feel like they really help push the story along and they kept my attention more so than longer chapters would have. And her ability to set the scene and vividly show you exactly what The Manor looks like is great. I could practically feel and smell the ocean air and the woodsy scent throughout reading the story. Overall, I think this might be my favorite Foley book so far. I liked the idea of how things unfolded and there were definitely some things I was not 100% expecting. Lucy's fans will love this one as much as all her others. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
May 22, 2024
|
May 27, 2024
|
Feb 10, 2024
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| B0CM8QGZX5
| 4.30
| 106
| unknown
| Feb 20, 2024
|
liked it
|
I'd like to thank the author for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. R I'd like to thank the author for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Rosalie's scientifically based life has been sculpted by her mother. That is until the fateful night her best friend, Tyler, drowns, and her world gets turned upside down. She breaks with what her mother wants to pursue life on an island off the coast of Maine where things are not quite what they seem. Seen as an outsider, Rosalie finds herself drawn to a strange boy and connected with the terrain in a way that is dizzying. Lisa Amowitz is well known to me. She has this quirky and fun way of writing that just draws me in. Her descriptions and imagery are unique and it's impossible not to picture in your mind exactly what she's showing you. I cannot say enough about the cover of this book. It is absolutely gorgeous. Not surprising since Amowitz designed it and her penchant for such things is always above and beyond my expectations. I have seen several covers she has designed, one more beautiful than the other. Roalie, the FMC, is a relatable and interesting character. I love her science mind and how in tune she is with nature. I would have liked to see more of that during the story. Amowitz did a great job with Rosalie's struggles. I could feel her anxiety over the situation in which she was placed. I also saw a decent amount of growth as Rosalie came into her own and took the reigns of her life. She became strong and powerful throughout the telling of the story. Liam was a bit of a mystery as the MMC. I wasn't sure what to make of him. He never really wanted to give up much of himself to Rosalie. His tie with Tyler was not expected. And in all honesty I thought we'd see Tyler make a come back, even though I knew it was improbable. Each side character really gave a lot to the story, as well. From Rosalie's father, who seems to not be in touch with reality. To Liam's mother and even the bad guys, Amowitz gave each their own distinct personality. I really enjoyed the writing. As I mentioned above, Amowitz really knows how to write imagery. Her descriptions are very specific and it was easy for me to imagine what was happened during the scenes. Plot wise there were some real twists and turns I was just not expecting. I can't really call them out as it would ruin the story, but these twists served well to move the story forward. I never knew what was going to happen next. And the magical world was unique. I loved the tie in to the land and sea. She also layered the different aspects of magic and mystery well. As an aside, I would read this book as your only single read at the time. I'm a multiple book reader but this one really needs all your attention so you can absorb what is happening. In this unique fantasy reimagining of The Secret Garden, Amowitz builds a magical world full of rich and colorful characters, mystery, forbidden romance, and magic. Teens will eat this one up. I'm excited to see where Rosalie's story leads in future books! ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Feb 02, 2024
|
Feb 07, 2024
|
Feb 02, 2024
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0593598873
| 9780593598870
| 0593598873
| 4.14
| 2,670
| Jul 16, 2024
| Jul 16, 2024
|
it was amazing
|
Thank you to Random House Ballentine and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expresse
Thank you to Random House Ballentine and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Jeremey and Rafe went missing on a school field trip and dissappeared. When the two boys reappear 6 months later, no one can figure out what happened. One remembers everything. The other remembers nothing. Their story can't be told. But when Emilie is looking for her lost sister and approaches Jeremey, now a man who locates missing people for a living, he can't refuse what she's asking. But the truth of where her sister is is linked with the two boys, and no one can ever know about the enchanted world they entered when they all disappeared. I loved The Wishing Game by Shaffer. Magical realism is so much fun for me to read. This book takes more of a turn towards fantasy. Set in modern day and tackling issues of friendship, found family, love, and second chances, it touches an many emotional aspects. It's an adult fairytale hitting all the fairytale bullet points, which really made it so much fun to read. Shaffer really infuses the story with so much fun fantasy: magical lands, Valkyries, unicorns, villains, queens, princes, knights, and other magical creatures. It really hits all the fairytale highlights. Her verbal descriptors truly pull you into the fantasy world and make it so real. It was easy to picture it all in my mind. The story did give me some Peter Pan vibes with the villains introduced. The story touches on being lost, being found, and finding family even if they may not be blood related. I loved the idea of the storyteller for the story. Addressing the audience directly was such a great idea! It gave such an interesting perspective. I did figure out who the story teller was about half way through, but that did not make it any less enjoyable to read. The perspective allowed for backstory and a different view of the characters and who they are. Jeremey and Rafe's story is sweet. I love their connection. I love them finding their friendship and more again during the story. It makes for a much more emotional story. And Emilie is a fun character, as well. She's not shy, and she knows what she wants/needs. My heart ached for her lonliness. She has no one but so wants to find someone to be her family. And the LBGTQ representation was a nice addition to a fabulous plot. The pacing was great. Lots of action, some down time, a little romance, and true friendships made. Shaffer really ticked all the boxes to pull you along in her story. I had high expectations for this book given my love of this author's first book and she did not disappoint. The book made my heart sing. It tugged at my emotions and ultimately made me so very happy. Definitely jump into this one if you are a fan of TJ Klune and fairytales. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jul 02, 2024
|
Jul 05, 2024
|
Jan 20, 2024
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0593640977
| 9780593640975
| 0593640977
| 3.81
| 15,072
| Jun 25, 2024
| Jun 25, 2024
|
liked it
|
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for supplying me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review. All opinions expresse
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for supplying me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own. Eileen Merriweather is an avid book reader turned professor of English. Her greatest love is meeting with her bookclub yearly in person to sit back, relax, and read some good books. When none of the members can make their yearly retreat, she decides to go alone. But on her way there she finds herself stranded in a small town with a broken down car. As she gets to know the town residents, she begins to realize she's stuck in the setting of her favorite author's love stories: Eloraton. She knows most of the characters but then finds there is one she cannot place. She's determined to figure out why this character was never on her radar and what her favorite author was planning to do with his love story. I've recently discovered Poston's books and have really enjoyed the ones I've read. I was truly looking forward to this one. Who doesn't want to get stuck in the setting of their favorite love story from their favorite author? It sounded like a fun read, one I would enjoy and zip through in no time. And, while I did enjoy it for the most part, it was lacking what Poston's other stories have given me: hope and a feeling of magic. Elsy is kind of a boring character. She is very self-deprecatory which just didn't hit me the right way. Even as she learns about herself throughout the book:,what she truly wants to do with her life, what kind of love she wants to find, and where she wants to be, I honestly didn't feel her growth. I wanted to love her but I just kind of liked her. She didn't present as anything truly interesting to me. She doesn't come across as strong or a woman who is willing to take control of her life, though she does talk about it. Her back story did help to solidify whey she thought the way she did about love. I did get a hint of her growth in the last few chapters, but not enough throughout the book to make me care. Anders is a flat character, as well. The most I know about him are that he has "minty green eyes" and that he is grumpy and tight lipped. I wanted to swoon over the MMC but he didn't really give me that feeling. I felt like I was missing something from him. I get that his presence is supposed to be a bit mysterious, but there was nothing there to connect me to him and care about his story line. The romance was just ok. I didn't really feel the connection between Elsy and Anders. I needed more tension, more angst, more connection. Where was the chemistry? It felt a bit superficial and forced. How about some real banter, which the author tried but really didn't succeed to do in my opinion. And how many times can Elsy tell us she's not who he's meant to be with? There goes that self-deprecatory look at herself again. Nothing could convince me that these two were fated for each other. I love the idea of a book within a book. But the magical realism did not come across in this one as it did in others I've read from her. I felt like it was really lacking that world building that helps you believe in the magic that's happening. It was slow and nothing truly gripped me. My biggest complaint with this book is the repetitive descriptions How many times can Elsy tell us about Anders "minty green eyes." It was non-stop in ever chapter. Or how he smelled like black tea. And how golden his hair was. I get it, you like his eyes and hair and his smell is pleasant but it was no-stop. I felt like the editor truly missed this. It took me out of the story as it kept happening. It made me not care about Elsy or Anders. And it didn't help me to see any connection forming between the two main characters. I do realize this book was more about the journey rather than the destination but it really fell flat of endearing me to the characters and making me care about what would happen in the end. This was one of my most highly anticipated release of 2024 and I was more disappointed than not with this one. I'm not giving up on this author, though, and will absolutely read books from her in the future. 2.5 stars rounded to 3 ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
May 28, 2024
|
May 31, 2024
|
Jan 02, 2024
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 059354045X
| 9780593540459
| 059354045X
| 4.04
| 17,133
| May 21, 2024
| May 21, 2024
|
it was amazing
|
I would like to thank Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this title to read and give my honest review. All opinion
I would like to thank Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this title to read and give my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own. If you have not read the first book in this series, I highly recommend you do before jumping into this one. You truly need the background of the characters and their connections to understand this book. I fully enjoyed the first book from Rowley so was super excited to see a continuation of this world. The Guncle Abroad picks up a few years after the ending of the first book. Rowley entertains us once again with the amazing antics of his character Patrick O'Hara. This time while he drags his niece and nephew through Europe on a quest to show them what love truly is. Rowley does a great job of extending his world with these characters. The premise of Patrick traveling with Grant and Maisie through Europe on their way to Greg's wedding was so great. I love Patrick's connection with his niece and nephew. Their relationship is sweet. Their connection from Sara is undeniable. I think, had Sara married anyone else, Patrick still would have been her kids' uncle. Having his brother as their father just makes it that much more special. Patrick's way of giving the kids, and everyone else, advice, is unsurpassed. He makes me laugh, and cry, and feel so many emotions. I'm totally in love with his character. He really makes you feel and that's such a great part of these books. And Patrick himself had growth in this book which I loved watching. The realization that he may have left a good thing with Emory behind. That it's ok to love another after the love of your life is gone. That family, and found family, are there for you and will support you for who you are. We're also introduced to a few new characters in this book: Livia, Palmina, and a few others. I liked what they all brought to the table. Especially Palmina, who becomes a bit a rival for Patrick in regards to sharing the attention from his niece and nephew. I loved how this book moved through Europe as part of the plot. I enjoyed the journey the kids and Patrick took, the attractions they saw, and how Patrick took each moment and made it into something special. And the banter in this book rivals that of the first book. So many funny moments that often turned endearing or a little hear breaking. Rowley was able to roll in some humor to balance it all out. I'd love to see more in this world from Rowley. Though, given the happily ever after we got from this one, I'm not sure where he would take it. But I would read it! Rowley may be one of my new favorite authors! ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Feb 21, 2024
|
Mar 13, 2024
|
Dec 26, 2023
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0316471771
| 9780316471770
| 0316471771
| 3.82
| 513
| Feb 20, 2024
| Feb 20, 2024
|
I want to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Children for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and given an honest review. The o
I want to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Children for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and given an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Picking up right where Seven Faceless Saints left off, Damian and Rosanna suffered at the hands of a disciple of Chaos and won. Now they face a new power that has come to usurp. Escaping their captivity, they run towards their enemy only to find the enemy may not be truly who they think it is. This review will be very vague as I don't want to spoil the first book. I expected so much from this book. I loved the first installment in this duology. The theme of the saints and their hold on society was so interesting and the ending took a turn that kept me wanting for more. I knew something odd was up with Damian and I knew Roz was going to do her best to find out what it was. I enjoyed the world building a bit more in this book. In the first book I felt like i was missing some important background with that. But this book really dove into the saints and the stories that went along with Chaos and Patience and why things were set the way they were. This book took the turn I thought it might. The predictability came to me once the ending of the first book happened. I just wasn't sure how it would move forward. And then when I started reading I saw it would and wondered how the author would handle it. In the end, I just didn't feel satisfied with it. It felt like it was missing something important. In all honesty, I found the pacing in this book to be very slow compared to the first book, which I flew through. It took me over a month to read this as I just didn't feel the pull I had with the first. The romance wasn't really where I wanted it to be. I was loving the connection Damian and Roz built throughout the first book. I was hoping that connection would continue in this book. But it didn't. I do understand that was part of Damian's transformation, him pulling away and beginning to be something else, but it just didn't seen organic. I actually came to loathe Damian, but perhaps that is what the author was going for. The action was good in this book. And I like the journey the characters took along the way. We met some new and interesting characters and of course saw those we knew from book one. I do love the author's writing and the fact that she chose to continue the dual POV in this book. It really gave great insight into the characters and their inner turmoils. Though it wasn't truly a dual POV since we did see Milos and Kieran speak in their chapters, but most of the focus was on Roz and Damian. But overall I just wasn't as satisfied with this one. Specifically the ending. I understand there needed to be a sacrifice, though I thought the author would somehow come up with a way to turn it. I just didn't understand the need to have the twist happen and then all of a sudden it goes from not so happy to sort of happy. That just left me wanting a better wrap up. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Dec 14, 2023
|
Jan 10, 2024
|
Nov 17, 2023
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1250892163
| 9781250892164
| 1250892163
| 3.67
| 867
| Mar 05, 2024
| Mar 05, 2024
|
it was ok
|
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give an honest review. The opinions expressed
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Ellie splits her life according to two things: Ellie at home and Ellie at the hospital. She doesn't want them overlapping. But when they crash into each other, she's forced to take a good look at her friends, boyfriend, and those who surround her while she's undergoing testing and treatment for her current bought of illness. Can she learn something new this time around? I was excited to read a story about someone with chronic illness. The summary made the book seem like we'd be seeing a lot of Ellie's life overlapping. And, while there was some, much of the focus is on her hospital stay and the people she interacts with there. I will say, I'm not sure how she kept so much a secret from her friends. I cannot see how this would happen with a chronic illness. How could she not see this would cause problems when things were revealed to her friends and boyfriend. It just made no sense to me. And how can she even know what they will and will not understand and accept if she never allows them to see who she really is. Her chronic illness should not define her but at the same time it is part of who she is and sharing this with those you care for would be essential for me. Ellie's character honestly annoyed me. She was super jaded. And while I can understand this, she just didn't seem to even want to grow. She's super stubborn and barely sees the good around her. I was super frustrated with her during the whole story. I will say. I scanned much of the book towards the end just to get through it. The pacing for the story was super slow and I felt like I was always waiting for something to happen and it just never did. Overall, I didn't love the progression of the story. I'm sure it's for some but just wasn't really for me. CHF 1/4/24 ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
not set
|
not set
|
Oct 16, 2023
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0593547942
| 9780593547946
| 0593547942
| 3.80
| 8,093
| Nov 28, 2023
| Nov 28, 2023
|
I want to than Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions ex
I want to than Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. I truly enjoyed the first Glimmer Falls book. It was amusing and sexy and just plain fun. I was excited to see this next book come up and even more excited to read Astaroth's story. Because, truly, I was not a fan of his at all in A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon. I kind of wanted to punch him in the face. Maybe have one of the witches toss him again. But, given that Hawley chose to write his and Calladia's story, I knew I'd have to give her the benefit of the doubt. Because there is nothing better than an author taking a villain and making them into a character you love. This story picks up very soon after the previous one ends. Do you have to read the previous one to read this? Well, that kind of depends. The story can definitely be independently read but you might be lost a bit with the supporting cast and their background that lead to everyone disliking Astaroth. I'm happy I had the background to be able to understand the story better. The story opens with us meeting Calladia. We met her previously, as Mariel's friend, but we didn't get too much background on her. I love how independent and fierce she is. I love how she embraces her more masculine side (I was always a tomboy). And I love how she takes what she wants and doesn't even blink for anyone who might look at her funny. She spunky and funny and strong. But she also has a side that's been marred by her mother, who treats her like a pawn to further her political career. Calladia will have none of it, though. As for Astaroth, he's not at all what I expected. I wasn't sure I could turn my hatred of him around because in the previous book he was everything I despised in a villain. Is he cocky? For sure. But the author chose to block his memories, so he's really starting fresh with learning who he is. His revelations and growth are exponential, and not in an inorganic way. And the cause he chooses to fight for is very worthy of me changing my mind. Hawley chose the perfect way to endear the reader to him, and to help him become more than what he seemed in the prior installment of this series. Hawley chooses to weave a good amount of banter into this story. This is what kept me wanting to turn pages. It drove the relationship between all the characters, morphing their hatred of a demon they thought most terrible, into friendships that swelled my heart. This was especially fun during the sexy scenes. But there are also emotional highs and lows which lend a more serious tone and move the book forward. The story itself, a fight for rights and a path to redemption, was great. The author does a great job of taking something that is politically charged and weaving it through the story line. I love how the author took demons and turned our understanding of who they are (especially Lilath) into those we look at quite differently. If you're looking for a great paranormal enemies to lovers story, I highly recommend jumping into this series. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Oct 19, 2023
|
Oct 27, 2023
|
Oct 01, 2023
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| B0BV6FJ918
| 3.44
| 709
| Nov 07, 2023
| Nov 07, 2023
|
it was ok
|
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Thriller, mystery, wicked comedy, let me at it! I was excited to start this one and see where it went. A girl who wants romance and then meets the guy of her dreams. It all seemed so perfect, until it wasn't. What I liked: I really like the cover of this book. Once you start reading, the symbolism of it definitely pans out. Plus it gives me a bit of an 80s vibe (though there is nothing 80s about the book at all). The news reports and interviews interspersed with the flashbacks that lead up to the tragedy. I think the former did a great job building up the mystery and kept you wondering just what would happen. I enjoyed the feminist theme for the most part. The concept of reclaiming their girl power was also very enticing. I love to see a book where the female characters aren't afraid to stand up for what they believe. And to believe in themselves. This book definitely had that vibe going. The MMC, no, I didn't love him but I did see right through him from the beginning and that made me like him more than any of the other characters in the book. The author's potential is there. I think her writing could use a bit more fine tuning but overall I can see future books will be fun to read. What I didn't like. Alyson, ugh. She was just so wishy washy for me. And super naive. I just don't find that to be the case with teens her age. I wanted to love her and cheer her on, hope for the best because I love romance. But she spent the whole book worrying about whether or not she was coming off too strong, or not strong enough, or looking like a nerd, or anything else than seeing what was right in front of her. I pinned what would happen from the very start. It never sat right for me and I just could not see how she didn't see it. It made me mad for her ad at her! And I hated how she justified how it was ok that she didn't participate in the revenge even though she was the one who started it. The revenge. Like, I get it. The boys are doing harm so you want to get back at them. But is this truly the message we want to send to our teens? It's ok to seek revenge because and eye for an eye and all that? No, I would not want my child thinking it was ok. And also, without spoiling too much, the mystery that gets revealed. The complacency of the teacher that is involved, and the fact that the girls involved just move on like it was not a big deal. They will carry that secret for the rest of their lives and, despite how terrible the MMC is, how can you say anyone deserves that? The mystery/thriller angle was never really there for me. Because I figured it out right from the start. It was too predictable. And there were no twist and turns, no cliffhangers to really drive the story forward. The sex ideas. For the most part I find this to be an important conversation for teens as we all know they are introduced to such themes very early on these days. But how they were presented in the book were very raw. It was like zero to 60 in three seconds with no build up, no nothing. And for YA, it was more graphic than I thought it would be. The ending. WHAT EVEN WAS THAT? Like, men suck, I'm done, let's date? It just felt forced. There was nothing organic about it at all. I feel like the author wasn't sure how to end the book, so she just threw it in. Had there been some build up to it during the book, I would have felt much better about it. This was a quick read but mostly because I just wanted to get to the end. I found much of the book boring and felt I had to push myself to truly move on and get to the end. Unfortunately, not really to my liking but I can see where teens may enjoy the story.
...more
|
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Sep 24, 2023
|
Sep 26, 2023
|
Sep 24, 2023
|
Kindle Edition
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
my rating |
|
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 4.15
|
really liked it
|
Jun 14, 2024
|
May 26, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 3.86
|
it was amazing
|
Jul 2024
|
May 23, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 3.88
|
liked it
|
May 2024
|
Apr 27, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 4.05
|
liked it
|
Apr 24, 2024
|
Apr 18, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 3.77
|
liked it
|
May 22, 2024
|
Apr 17, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 3.80
|
it was ok
|
Jun 17, 2024
|
Apr 16, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 3.79
|
really liked it
|
Jun 29, 2024
|
Apr 08, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 4.02
|
liked it
|
May 27, 2024
|
Mar 15, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 3.74
|
it was amazing
|
Jul 16, 2024
May 08, 2024
|
Feb 20, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 3.72
|
really liked it
|
May 18, 2024
|
Feb 14, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 4.12
|
it was amazing
|
May 28, 2024
|
Feb 10, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 3.69
|
really liked it
|
May 27, 2024
|
Feb 10, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 4.30
|
liked it
|
Feb 07, 2024
|
Feb 02, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 4.14
|
it was amazing
|
Jul 05, 2024
|
Jan 20, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 3.81
|
liked it
|
May 31, 2024
|
Jan 02, 2024
|
|||||
|
| 4.04
|
it was amazing
|
Mar 13, 2024
|
Dec 26, 2023
|
|||||
|
| 3.82
|
Jan 10, 2024
|
Nov 17, 2023
|
||||||
|
| 3.67
|
it was ok
|
not set
|
Oct 16, 2023
|
|||||
|
| 3.80
|
Oct 27, 2023
|
Oct 01, 2023
|
||||||
|
| 3.44
|
it was ok
|
Sep 26, 2023
|
Sep 24, 2023
|
Loading...
