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Book Review: Five Gold Rings by Kristen Bailey

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 317 pages
Author: Kristen Bailey
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Release Date: October 30th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

What does Christmas look like to you? A tree rammed with homemade decorations, a mantelpiece weighed down with cards, Mum telling Dad not to put the chocolate wrappers back in the tin, a festive film on television…

It should definitely not look like a naked woman on her knees noshing off your boyfriend of three years in the shower.

It’s Christmas Eve eve, and the holidays are not off to a good start for, er, Eve.

After the surprise and shock of catching her boyfriend cheating, Eve – totally devastated – reacts by throwing the gifts she’s selflessly bought and wrapped for HIS family out of the window. But while doing so she discovers her own present from Chris under the Christmas tree: an engagement ring, bought at the jeweller’s where she works. What the jingle bells is going on? And what was he thinking?

Confused and with her Christmas plans in tatters, Eve rocks up at the jeweller’s for some tea and sympathy with her lovely employers, Mr and Mrs Caspar, who quietly put in a distress call to her colleague, Joe. Eve doesn’t know that Joe is secretly in love with her, but her bosses do, and they know he’s just the person Eve needs to comfort her in a crisis.

Joe gets the call while moonlighting as a buff butler at a Christmas-themed hen do and races across town to help console Eve. But as he learns about her heartbreak, the Caspars realise a crucial delivery has gone astray: five gold rings destined for Christmas proposals and weddings have been sent to the wrong address.

Can Eve and Joe retrieve the rings and get them to their rightful owners in time?

As they set off in Joe’s ancient mini – Joe still dressed as a sexy elf and Eve just a liiiittle bit tipsy – their adventure begins. With three proposals and two weddings to get to, it’s up to Eve and Joe to save Christmas.

An utterly hilarious novel for anyone looking for festive romance with all the feels. If you have a hot date with Love Actually every Christmas you will adore this gloriously funny and unmissable festive read.

HUMOROUS.

This was such a whacky plot idea that actually really worked in the holiday romance section. It’ll make you laugh and cringe, but ultimately enjoy the journey and all of the love that was found through returning those five rings.

The romance grew on me, but I wasn’t immediately sold. I think the timeline could have been stretched a little longer and I would have believed Eve’s turnaround a little more. Not to mention she was drunk for at least half the book and that was a little bit muddled for me too.

I loved the spirit of the season and the holiday moments. The ending was super sweet and it was just a enjoyable read. I’m glad I picked it up!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: kisses; innuendo throughout
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: catching your boyfriend cheating, alcohol consumption

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Book Review: We Could Be Villains (The Vigil & Ante Files #1) by Megan McCullough

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Sci-Fi Romance
Length: 346 pages
Author: Megan McCullough
Publisher: Whimsical Publishing
Release Date: October 3rd, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Avoid spoilers. Don’t get fired. Defeat a not-so-fictional supervillain?

Seventeen-year-old fangirl Rosemary Collins lives for VIGIL & ANTE Studios movies. From action-packed superhero fights to sweet character moments, she’s here for it all. But in a real-life crossover no one saw coming, the fandom’s heartthrob supervillain, Ironfall, isn’t as fictional as the film studio wants her to believe. Beyond the glamorous red carpet lies the government’s most guarded secret: the movies are real.

Armed with a devilish grin and a wit as sharp as his knives, Ironfall needs her help, and refusing means he’ll kill her parents. Her only other option involves spying on him for the government’s secret superhero division. Suspended between fact and what she thought was fiction, Rosemary must join her heroes and create an impenetrable web of lies—or guarantee her parents’ safety as she watches the world burn at its adored villain’s hand.

Perfect for fans of pop culture and comics, WE COULD BE VILLAINS packs an entire cinematic universe into a book. Join Rosemary and the not-so-fictional heroes (and villains!) of the VIGIL & ANTE films in this imaginative science fiction where superhero battles equal publicity stunts, fictional characters become family, and the villain just might steal your heart.

Thank you to Whimsical Publishing for the gifted audiobook.

DEFINITELY NEED BOOK TWO.

This has been sitting on my TBR for a long while now and I am very grateful that the audiobook became available and saved it from the cemetery of my kindle folder.

I thought this concept was so much fun and I loved all of the sci-fi superheroes, anti-heroes and other groups throughout. It took some darker turns I wasn’t expecting and I thought the action scenes packed a lot of punch.

There’s a subtle romance too that had my full attention and I look forward to seeing the final development of that in book two. I liked Rosemary as the FMC and how she was naive about a lot of things, but caring and loyal to her loved ones. Even better, she took the time to work on her skills and learned many new things along the way.

The audiobook was great. I enjoyed the narrator. There was one side character who’s voice was a bit nasally to me, but that was a minor issue. I definitely recommend this format for reading WCBV.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Sci-Fi + Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content Warnings: murder, gun violence

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ARC Book Review: Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Sue Lynn Tan
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: January 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A stunning, standalone romantic fantasy filled with dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, and passion, of a young ruler who fights to protect her kingdom, from bestselling author Sue Lynn Tan and set in the breathtaking world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

“What the gods did not give us, I would take.”

As the heir to Tianxia, Liyen knows she must ascend the throne and renew her kingdom’s pledge to serve the immortals who once protected them from a vicious enemy. But when she is poisoned, Liyen’s grandfather steals an enchanted lotus to save her life. Enraged at his betrayal, the immortal queen commands the powerful God of War to attack Tianxia.

Upon her grandfather’s death, Liyen ascends a precarious throne, vowing to end her kingdom’s obligation to the immortals. When she is summoned to the Immortal Realm, she seizes the opportunity to learn their secrets and to form a tenuous alliance to safeguard her people, all with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War. As they are drawn together, a treacherous attraction ignites between them—one she has to resist, to not endanger all she is fighting for.

But with darker forces closing in around them, and her kingdom plunged into peril, Liyen must risk everything to save her people from an unspeakable fate, even if it means forging a dangerous bond with the immortal… even if it means losing her heart.

Thank you Harper Voyager for my gifted ARC.

WORKED FOR ME.

Fantasy standalones and I don’t always see eye to eye. I did go with the audiobook route and that was the click for me. I loved the audiobook and keeping it at the pace that I do helped me move through the story.

Yes, there’s a few plot quirks and I would have loved more of the relationship background BUT for a standalone this delivered. I love love love wild twists and plot moments I didn’t see coming. This had good reveals and I thought the unveiling of the story was executed well.

The romance was heated and swoony. I loved the connection between Liyen and the God of War. Perfectly timed tension and the build had my full attention. The lore was beautiful and I just can’t get enough of SLT’s writing style. It’s magnetic and the audiobook narrator brought everything to life.

Another gorgeous story that I loved reading.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Heir of Sun and Moon (The Five Realms #1) by Jenessa Ren

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Rating: ★★★
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Length: 485 pages
Author: Jenessa Ren
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 31st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Forced into isolation by the ruler of the Mortal Kingdom, Princess Rhea Maxwell spends her days in the company of her pet fox, Bella, dreaming of an existence outside the confinement of her tower. As the rightful queen, she knows that there must be more to life than the endless monotony she’s been forced to live. Harboring a deadly secret from her past, her desolation grows until one fateful night brings an unlikely ally into her life. Though wary to trust this stranger, Rhea suddenly finds herself with something she’s never had: a choice. With a future she never thought possible hanging in the balance, the princess must decide if following her heart is worth risking everything she’s ever known.

In the neighboring Mage Kingdom, Princess Bahira Daxel is the first of her kind to be born without magic. Fixated on finding a way to unlock the power she believes to be hidden within, Bahira knows there is no price too great to achieve her goals. As tensions rise and her kingdom prepares for a threat they can not defend against, her desperation comes to a head. Ultimatums push Bahria to rethink who she truly is and the future that she had pictured for herself.

In a post-war world where kingdoms are divided by a powerful spell, can Rhea and Bahira each break free from the shackles of the lives expected of them to forge their own paths? Or will lies and obsession threaten to destroy everything.

UNDECIDED.

This one started off really intriguing. I loved that it was a loose Rapunzel retelling with a bodyguard romance, YAY. But execution wise, it dragged badly. Rhea was stuck in that dang tower for so long that I had to do some speed reading to see if the plot ever actually got to moving. Aaaand the romance came off as a bit insta-lovey. There were some cute and sweet moments, yet I’m not sure I’m convinced of them quite yet.

THEN we have our other POV. As a personal preference, I don’t love when the main character sleeps with other people who aren’t the love interest with actual on page spice. Otherwise, I liked Bahira’s storyline. I’m curious about the magic, about where she ended up and how that will play out with future books (but will I read said book??? I DON’T KNOW).

The ending happily blindsided me and I am admittedly intrigued about how those things will go. This was just too long without enough engaging plot.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: 1-2 open door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, weapons violence, kidnapping, abuse

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