Category: Book Review

Book Review: The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cook (Dungeon Crawler Carl #3) by Matt Dinniman

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Dystopian/Sci-Fi
Length: 532 pages
Author: Matt Dinniman
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: October 22nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Welcome to the Gun Show!

The top ten list is populated. The sponsorship program is open. The difficulty is ramping up. The first three floors were nothing compared to what Carl and Donut now face.

The Iron Tangle. An impossibly-complicated subway system built out of the world’s subterranean railway systems, all combined and then tied together into a knot. Up is down. Down is up. Close is far. The cars are filled with monsters, the railway stations are less than safe, and the exit is always just a few stops away.

But there is hope. For the first time, the crawlers are all working together. The loot is better than ever. And the secret to unraveling it all may be hidden in the pages of a seemingly-useless book. Welcome, crawlers. Welcome to the fourth floor of the dungeon.

THIS COOKED.

Am I cool now? Did I use that right?

Anyways. I finally swung back around to reading the next book in this series and very much enjoyed the journey! I loved the train level dynamic and the chaos that ensued. And I am obsessed with the audiobook narrator who does such an incredible job on all of these voices and bringing this story to life. It is such an easy book to pick up and continue and feel invested.

I liked that this added a relationship to Carl that wasn’t Donut. NO, it is not romantic (and that’s totally fine, I’m not expecting one), but it was nice to get some more relations to their motley crew and see those bonds develop. I hope to see more of them and how they fit into the larger plot. I’m heavily attached to this quirky found family.

Great read, I liked the continuation of the plot and I’m looking forward to the next book!

Overall audience notes:

  • Dystopian/Sci-fi
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: high

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk (Crowns of Nyaxia #4) by Carissa Broadbent

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Romantasy
Length: 557 pages
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: August 5th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves – and plunged the world into an eternal night. Now, imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again.

When a goddess offers them a final path to redemption – and back to each other – Asar and Mische embark on an extraordinary mission. Together, they must seize the power of the god of death so Asar may do the ascend to true divinity.

Their journey will take them through mortal and immortal realms, alongside both old friends and ruthless enemies. But as the underworld teeters on the brink of collapse and the gods prepare for a war, Asar and Mische must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the power to defy death. In a game of vengeful gods and ancient betrayals, there are some debts that even love may not be able to repay.

AUDIOBOOK IS KEY.

I LOVE the first two books in this series, big fan, reread them, loved them. I struggled with book three and didn’t feel compelled to get to book four IMMEDIATELY.

And then I decided to go with the audiobook and let me tell y’all, that’s the way to go. The narrators executed that beautifully and I found it much easier to pick and listen to rather than trying to read my physical copy.

I ended up liking this journey a lot. I do think it gets a bit scattered and dragged out but overall, there’s many good things here. I love the dynamic between Asar and Mische. The brightest of sunshine vs. the grumpiest of grumps. Filled with banter and tension, and the foreboding sense of wondering who will make it out alive and if that HEA will ever come.

I am looking forward to the next duet though!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 4ish open door
  • Violence: high

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance/Sci-Fi
Length: 352 pages
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Simon Audio
Release Date: July 14th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An unforgettable novel in which one fateful accident erases a troubled marriage from memory—and love gets one extraordinary do-over.

Three years ago, Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made her dance, made her feel.

But now, Emery is consumed by her top-secret job, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge research comes to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.

Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule to bring him back. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together…all of it is gone.

It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving.

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

WHAT IN THE SCI-FI?

I think I would have liked this book so much better if the COVER MATCHED ANYTHING ABOUT THIS STORY. At least the title had some nods to it. I didn’t read the summary, because I usually don’t, and man, was I thrown for a loop in the first few chapters.

This felt like a loose sci-fi romance more than anything. With some stretched scientific concepts and an amnesia plot to rule the story. There was even a secret villain and a whole villain monologue to go along with it. I just don’t understand why marketing went this way??

I wanted to like this. I tried. But the whole time I was too focused on the revival plot and the romance started to get lusty rather than actually working out their problems. That eventually came, but further down the line. I did like the communication when it happened and it was an interesting take on the *second chance* concept.

🎧: I did love the audiobook! Duel narrators. Great read. An easy listen and I would recommend that format.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: multiple open door
  • Violence: moderate+
  • Content warnings: near death experiences, being hit by a car, gun violence, kidnapping

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ARC Book Review: House of Curses (Royal Houses #3) by K.A. Linde

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 424 pages
Author: K.A. Linde
Publisher: Bloom Books
Release Date: September 1st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author K.A. Linde returns to the story of Kerrigan Argon in the next in the Royal Houses series, an unforgiving world filled with magic, mayhem, and romance. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and V.E. Schwab.

Thank you to Bloom Books for the ARC.

CONTINUES TO BE GOOD.

It’s been a minutes since I’ve been able to work through a whole, new to me series, in a shorter time frame rather than waiting years for the sequel and I am still locked into this one y’all!

This one had some good turns and political intrigue. I’m still loving all of the dragon content and seeing how this world is growing and changing. There were a few plot points I didn’t love but the FMC and love interest are top tier. I do wish the characters were older than 18 because I feel like that would fit the themes better but it’s fine I guess.

I don’t want to say much more since this is a book in the middle of a series but it’s filling that dash of Fourth Wing void for me right now at least!

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: vague/quick open door
  • Violence: high

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph