ARC Book Review: American Gauntlet by Allie Lewis

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 452 pages
Author: Allie Lewis
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 14th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two sisters. Seven teams. One grueling competition. One life-changing cash prize.


American Gauntlet is the number one reality TV competition in the nation, and when Dani Di Laurentis gets the call that she and her sister, Lana, have been selected as contestants, she knows this is her one opportunity to change her family’s life for the better. After months of intense training, she and Lana embark on the adventure of a lifetime as they attempt to take on the Gauntlet.
Dani soon finds out, though, that the American Gauntlet experience will be more than just excruciating physical challenges. Not only is she tackling grueling trials, fending off teams that are gunning for her, and dealing with the psychological warfare of the month-long competition, she also finds herself battling growing feelings for her biggest competitor, Joss.
But what none of the contestants know is American Gauntlet has game twists they never could’ve seen coming.
American Gauntlet is an action-packed love story, featuring a fast-paced plot and a sizzling romance without explicit sexual content.

Thank you to the author for an ARC.

NEW OBESSION.

I wish y’all could see how many tabs I put in this book. I LOVED IT SO DANG MUCH. It was the most unique sports romance I’ve read and was incredibly well balanced between the reality game show aspects + romantic moments.

I would like to start a petition for all love interests to be tall sunshine-filled Australians. Talk about some of the best fiery banter. OFF THE CHARTS. The chemistry could not be contained. I was obsessed with Joss and Dani. OBSESSED. Every moment was absolutely stunning.

“The only thing I’m wondering is what it would be like to be loved with that kind of fervor…what it would be like to be loved by you.”

And the competition was INTENSE. Think Survivor + Fear Factor. I loved the set-up and how each competition played out. There was just the right amount of time spent wondering WHO WAS GOING TO WIN and time spent getting to know the side characters and having a storyline outside of the Gauntlet.

I loved Dani’s growth. She grew so much over the book. Learning to value herself and that it’s okay to put yourself first sometimes. Reconnecting with her sister, being open to love, and showing off the sportsmanship that I love seeing.

“You’re the rain in the desert, Dani — and I’ll beg for you.”

I can’t get enough of this book and I NEED Y’ALL TO READ IT OKAY. If you’re looking for a unique sports romance with great characters, fierce events, self-discovery and the sweetest ending. TRUST ME YOU NEED THIS BOOK.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Sports Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: parental abandonment, a mother with past alcohol abuse, near drowning, allergic reactions, depictions of anxiety, mentions of cancer

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Book Review: Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Mystery
Length: 448 pages
Author: Erin Beaty
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: June 28th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Rising above the city of Collis is the holy Sanctum. And watching over its spires is Catrin, an orphan girl with unique skills—for she alone can spot the building’s flaws in construction before they turn deadly.

But when Catrin witnesses a murderer escaping the scene of his crime, she’s pulled into the web of a dangerous man who will definitely strike again. Assigned to capture the culprit is the mysterious, brilliant, and enigmatic Simon, whose insights into the mind of a killer are frighteningly accurate.

As the grisly crimes continue, Catrin finds herself caught between murderer and detective while hiding her own secret—a supernatural sight granted by the moon, destined to make her an outcast, and the only thing that might save her and those she loves from becoming the next victims…

In this medieval YA fantasy thriller, an orphan with a secret, magical sight gets caught between a mysterious genius and the serial killer he’s hunting.

MYSTERIOUS.

I really enjoyed this one! It was different than my usual YA fantasy picks and brought a lot to the table. A fantasy and a thriller all in one was a good change of pace.

Catrin was a main character who went up and down for me. I liked her at times and struggled with her occasionally, but overall, I liked who she was and who she became. She was fiercely loyal to those who looked out for her and was compassionate to those in differing situations.

There was a sweet and subtle sub-plot romance that I liked too. As the other major key player, Simon, held a lot of sway in where the story went. He had a mysterious nature, but was soft as fluff on the inside and this is how I adore my love interests.

Mental health was a major theme and I there were many good conversations and approaches to how this subject was discussed. The author’s note at the end had an interesting tidbit of history that connected into the story and I loved learning more about that as well!

The mystery kept me guessing and even though I was pretty sure it was one character, I liked how great the writing was that I felt pulled in multiple directions on who the murderer ultimately was.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy Thriller
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: small mentions of sexual assault and rape (not on page), murder (graphic descriptions of bodies found), suicide and suicide ideation, mob aggression resulting in death, differing mental health depictions

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Book Review: The Bear and the Nightingale (The Winternight Trilogy #1) by Katherine Arden

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 320 pages
Author: Katherine Arden
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Release Date: January 10th, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

STILL HOLDS UP.

This is a reread review because I read this originally before starting this blog!

Y’ALL. Five years later and this book still captivates me. I absolutely love the winter setting and the atmosphere of the entire novel.

And all of the characters are fascinating. Complex and intriguing. It does take a little bit to nail down who’s who, but after that, it’s smooth sailing. I love Vasya’s family and all the intricacies of her siblings, parents, and step mother. For a book mostly set in a small town far away from everything, PLENTY happens. It’s incredibly well written.

Vasya is one of my favorite FMC’s. She is resilient and strong. I love that even during the chapters when she’s little, you can feel the essence of who she is and how well Vasya embodies those pieces. And those later chapters when she’s fully grown are the best. I love when Morozko shows up too!! The relationship between them is this hesitant partnership that you can see the inklings of friendship brewing.

It’s all here. And I know the series only gets exponentially better.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: mentions of closed door (not involving main couple)
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents, loss of loved ones, animal attacks, physical altercations, weapons violence, brief child abuse

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Book Review: Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Jamie Wesley
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: June 21st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A reality star and a cupcake-baking football player pretend to be a couple in order to save his bakery in this sweet and sexy romance from Jamie Wesley, Fake It Till You Bake It.

Jada Townsend-Matthews is the most reviled woman in America after turning down a proposal on a reality dating show. When she comes home to lick her wounds, Jada finds herself working at San Diego’s newest cupcake bakery, Sugar Blitz, alongside the uptight owner and professional football player Donovan Dell.

When a reporter mistakenly believes Jada and Donovan are an item, they realize they can use the misunderstanding to their advantage to help the struggling bakery and rehabilitate Jada’s image. Faking a relationship should be simple, but sometimes love is the most unexpected ingredient.

Fake it Till You Bake It is a sweet confection of a novel, the perfect story to curl up with and enjoy with a cupcake on the side.

SECOND HALF MELTDOWN.

I thought this book started off pretty strong. I liked the initial banter between characters. There’s a cupcake shop for goodness sake’s and the author threw in fake dating. Who wouldn’t be charmed?! Things were sweet and good and I thought I had a good read on my hands.

And then.

The second half of the book started. What.

There were some sub-plot lines that I wasn’t wholly a fan of, but luckily weren’t drawn out more than necessary. BUT what was truly the last straw was a BREAK UP at 94%. WHY THO. I already hate conflict break-ups in their usual placement, this was obscene. Of course they get back together pages later, I was too soured to care. It made no sense and I’m still sitting here trying to figure it out.

The love scene had some cringy moments too. Some of the commentary had me giving this a hard nope.

Meh, I thought I would say I recommend this, but instead I’m going to tell you to bake your own cupcakes and read a different book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: one open door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: cyber harassment, gambling addiction mentioned

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