Author: GoodeyReads

Book Review: Love Redesigned (Lakefront Billionaires #1) by Lauren Asher

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 530 pages
Author: Lauren Asher
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 7th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Julian
If I ever caught on fire, Dahlia Muñoz would fan the flames with a smile.
So, when she returns to Lake Wisteria, I fully intend to avoid the interior designer.
At least until my meddling mother exploits my savior complex.
The faster I help Dahlia find her creative spark, the sooner she will leave town.
But while I was busy getting rid of Dahlia, I overlooked one potential issue.
What happens if I want her to stay?

Dahlia
People say the devil has many faces, but I know only one.
Julian Lopez—my childhood rival and family frenemy.
I vow to steer clear of him while recovering from my broken engagement, but then the billionaire makes an irresistible offer.
Renovate a historic house together and triple our profits.
Our temporary truce becomes compromised as we face years’ worth of denied attraction and mixed emotions.
Giving into our desire is inevitable…but falling in love?
That isn’t part of the plan.

Love Redesigned is a steamy, small town romance about two family friends-turned-childhood rivals. It is the first book in the standalone Lakefront Billionaires series and has a happy ending.

LACKED PASSION.

I don’t know y’all, this one felt…formulaic? As if a trope was chosen, a scene was written, repeat and smashed together to be called one book. While I totally love some of those tropes and the scenes were pretty good with them, I feel like I never FELT for these two like I wanted to.

There’s some enemies-ish banter and I loved the small home town setting. I liked the cast of characters and goodness, I really did love Julian. For a 500+ page book this was easy to fly through.

I’m also not a fan of any kind of benefits situation. It feels like a device used just to add more spice when the relationship hasn’t been fully built quite yet. Nor do I feel like some aspects were dived deep enough into. Bleh, a mixed bag all around.

While this wasn’t a winner, I’m hopeful for book two.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 4+ open
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a parent (recounted), grief and depression depiction

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Book Review: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Non-fiction Essays
Length: 293 pages
Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: May 18th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A deeply moving and mind-expanding collection of personal essays in the first ever work of non-fiction from #1 internationally bestselling author John Green

The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his ground-breaking, critically acclaimed podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet – from the QWERTY keyboard and Halley’s Comet to Penguins of Madagascar – on a five-star scale.

Complex and rich with detail, the Anthropocene’s reviews have been praised as ‘observations that double as exercises in memoiristic empathy’, with over 10 million lifetime downloads. John Green’s gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection about the shared human experience; it includes beloved essays along with six all-new pieces exclusive to the book.

THIS WAS REAL GOOD.

Y’all know I’m not a non-fiction gal, but once in a blue moon I can be convinced that I should read one and this has had some rave reviews from friends. I think it absolutely lived up to the hype.

My brain loved how this book functioned. Short chapters + history + rating? Loved. It flowed fast and succinct and I had a blast listening to such a wide variety of topics. I loved that John Green narrated this himself because it brought an even higher level of personal connection that made this book resonate.

Easily a non-fiction book I’d recommend to all!

Overall audience notes:

  • Non-fiction
  • Language: low

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ARC Book Review: The Beasts We Bury (The Broken Citadel #1) by D.L. Taylor

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: D.L. Taylor
Publisher: Henry Holt
Release Date: February 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Deceit and betrayal abound in this dark YA romantasy about an heir to the throne who can summon an army of animals and a thief who plans to manipulate her to pull off a once-in-a-lifetime heist.

Will he steal her heart… or her chance at the throne?

Daughter and heir to the throne, Mancella Cliff yearns for a life without bloodshed. But as a child, she emerged from the Broken Citadel with the power to summon animals—only after killing them with her bare hands. Her magic is a constant reminder of the horrors her father, the ruler of the realm, has forced upon her to strengthen their power.

Silver is a charming thief struggling to survive in a world torn apart by Mancella’s father’s reign. When a mysterious benefactor recruits him for the heist of a lifetime, a chance to rob the castle, Silver relishes the opportunity for a real future—and revenge. But he’ll have to manipulate Mance and earn her trust to pull it off.

As the deception and carnage mount, Mance must find a way to save her realm without becoming the ruthless monster she’s been bred to be. And when Silver discovers that his actions are fueling the violence that Mance wants to prevent, he’ll have to choose between his ambition and the girl he’s falling for.

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours and Henry Holt for the gifted copy and Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

SOLID READ.

I really liked this (and the audiobook was great too!). NOW, it is dark. Please check the content warnings for the magic system. While unique and something I haven’t read before, it’s on the heavier side.

I did love how much of a sunshine character Silver was. He balanced out the book and brought the little bit of optimism that the story needed to make things feel like they could keep going. The romance was a bit quick for me, it grew on me too though.

The complicated politics are intriguing and I am definitely invested in reading the next book. Betrayals and trauma and good twists kept me on my toes and the stakes felt high and intense.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Dark Fantasy
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: animal sacrifice/cruelty (as a means to the magic system), mental and physical abuse

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Book Review: Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fiction / Magical Realism
Length: 416 pages
Author: Emily Habeck
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: August 8th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Newlyweds face the unimaginable in this epic tale about marriage, motherhood, and enduring love.

For Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last. A few weeks after their wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis. He will retain most of his consciousness, memories, and intellect, but his physical body will gradually turn into a great white shark. As Lewis develops the features and impulses of one of the most predatory creatures in the ocean, his complicated artist’s heart struggles to make peace with his unfulfilled dreams.

At first, Wren internally resists her husband’s fate. Is there a way for them to be together after Lewis changes? Then, a glimpse of Lewis’s developing carnivorous nature activates long-repressed memories for Wren, whose story vacillates between her childhood living on a houseboat in Oklahoma, her time with a college ex-girlfriend, and her unusual friendship with a woman pregnant with twin birds. Woven throughout this bold novel is the story of Wren’s mother, Angela, who becomes pregnant with Wren at fifteen in an abusive relationship amidst her parents’ crumbling marriage. In the present, all of Wren’s grief eventually collides, and she is forced to make an impossible choice.

A sweeping love story that is at once lyrical and funny, airy and visceral, Shark Heart is an unforgettable, gorgeous novel about life’s perennial questions, the fragility of memories, finding joy amidst grief, and creating a meaningful life. This daring debut marks the arrival of a wildly talented new writer abounding with originality, humor, and heart.

WHAT IN THE WORLD.

I feel like this has to be one of the oddest books I’ve ever picked up.

And yet I was kind of into it?

A very interesting concept and one I have truly never considered. I did like the exploration of magical realism and mutations and changes. I was intrigued by how it was handled medically and the coping mechanisms that were involved.

I really enjoyed part one and Wren and Lewis’s story the most. I felt swept away by their love for each other and loving through the hard moments too.

What kind of lost me was the second part where the focus changed and I didn’t feel as invested. The book is on the short side (7 hour audio) and there was a lot crammed into this that I wish would have been explored further. I wanted to feel more of the love story aspects that the title referred to.

The ending wrapped things up well enough. Maybe I just struggle with magical realism sometimes and have way too many questions about how everything works and why (hi, I’m the problem, it’s me). I truly did enjoy this read though. There were good themes and plenty of discussions to be had because of the story.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fiction
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, suicide ideation

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