Book Review: Twin Crowns (Twin Crowns #1) by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 480 pages
Author: Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
Publisher: Baizer & Bray
Release Date: May 17th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A high-stakes fantasy rom-com about twin princesses separated at birth—one raised as the crown princess, and the other taken as an infant and raised to kidnap her sister, steal the crown, and avenge the parents’ murders.

Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.

Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

AS EXEPCTED.

Admittedly I went into this kind of knowing where I would land and was not swayed to love it more than I did.

This is a younger YA fantasy. Which is usually not a problem, I just didn’t love some of the dialogue and general dynamics and how they were written. The main characters (especially Rose) irked me and took a lot for me to even kind of like the sisters by the end.

The romances are cute. A bit too fast paced and whatnot. I did like them though and think there’s potential for better progress in book two (I think it’s a duology?).

Plot wise, SUPER predictable. And not in that way I generally don’t mind. More so in a way where absolutely nothing was a surprise. Left me with a lot of underwhelming feelings. I do have kind of want to see how book two goes? I’m curious enough to give it a try.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: mild
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: weapons violence, physical altercations, kidnapping, loss of parents, murder

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ARC Book Review: How to Kiss Your Enemy (Hawthorne Brothers #3) by Jenny Proctor

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 280 pages
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 9th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

How is it possible for the chemistry between two chefs to be hotter than a ghost pepper yet colder than liquid nitrogen?

When THE Tatum Elliott shows up to run the catering kitchen at my family’s farm and event center, I don’t trust her anymore than I did back in culinary school.

But like it or not, she’s here. On my territory. My turf. In the kitchen that shares a building with my farm-to-table restaurant.

And she can’t seem to keep her hands off my parmesan.

Our old rivalry flares to life faster than a flambé, but there’s something else flaming between us too. And it’s heating up quicker than anything we’re making in the kitchen.

But I can’t forget that Tatum is the daughter of Gordon Elliott—America’s most famous chef. She belongs in a big city, in a restaurant with her name on it. Not running the catering arm of Stonebrook Farm.

Whatever her reasons for being here now, I can’t see her permanently walking away from the fame and fortune her father can offer her, no matter how well she fits in on the farm—how well she fits with me.

She’ll leave eventually—I’m sure of it. I just have to make sure that when she does, she doesn’t take my heart with her.

It’s enemies to lovers foodie edition in this fast-paced, banter-filled romcom from bestselling author, Jenny Proctor.

How to Kiss Your Enemy is a sweet romantic comedy with all the crackling chemistry and sizzling kisses you want in a closed-door romance but no explicit scenes.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

WHAT A GEM.

Another wonderful read from one of my favorite go-to closed door romance authors. I loved this!! Lennox and Tatum had this subtle enemy/angst vibe that grew into a beautiful romance and I loved every page.

Forced proximity is my kryptonite so I loved that Lennox and Tatum both worked near each other. It caused moment after moment of them meeting, reconnecting, and both coming to some realizations about how they’ve grown up since knowing each other in culinary school. I love great character growth and Tatum’s story especially was fantastic. I LOVELOVELOVE that she found a way to stand on her own and Lennox supported every step. This is another case of we’re having an argument but not breaking up third act and I am here for it x1000.

There’s plenty of swoony moments. Cooking for each other, snow storms without power, kisses in the office. ALL THERE. I just really loved how this relationship came together. It felt authentic and true. I adored the sweet dog. And I am absolutely IN LOVE with this family!! The conversations and text messages and the way the support is always there.

Another amazing installment in the Hawthorne brother’s series. This had a cozier vibe that I can’t quite nail down but know I FELT that had me snuggled up in a blanket devouring the pages. And now I am STOKED for Flint’s story!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of loss of a mother, strained father/daughter relationship, gaslighting (not b/t main couple), mentions of past cheating

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ARC Book Review: Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham

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Rating: ★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 208 pages
Author: Elizabeth Lowham
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: May 9th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Fantasy and reality collide in this retelling of Beauty and the Beast about a young woman’s heroic quest to save herself.

Yes, I went to the woods to save my father. But I also went hoping I would be eaten by the Beast. Because I didn’t think anything else could save me.

Beauty’s life is the stuff of fairy tales. The youngest in her family, Beauty isn’t trying to catch Stephan’s eye. He is the lord baron’s heir, well above her family’s modest station, but when he kisses her hand at a party, Beauty is swept away by his charm, his wit, and his passionate declarations of love.

Hearts can be untamable creatures, especially when touched by the fires of first love, and Beauty doesn’t see the truth of Stephan’s intentions until it is too late. Until he stops asking for Beauty’s love—and simply takes it from her one night despite her refusal.

Beauty locks away the secret of what happened to her, and when her father emerges from the enchanted forest with a stolen rose in his hand and the tale of a vicious beast on his breath, Beauty seizes the chance to run as far from Stephan as possible.

She has some experience with beasts, after all. Certainly the one in the forest couldn’t be any worse than the one she’s already encountered.

Breaking the Beast’s curse might be the key to discovering her own path to healing—and finding the courage to allow herself to feel reborn.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for an ARC.

NOPE.

I want to be able to come here and tell y’all I enjoyed this, but I just flat out did not.

This wasn’t a retelling so much as a direct copycat of the original movie. I don’t feel like I got anything new out of this story and instead wished I was just watching the movie.

At barely 200 pages there isn’t enough context or story to get the full sense of Beauty, her family, or her relationship with Beast. Beauty and Beast play make believe games while in the castle and hardly talk to one another for most of the book.

There’s some small good moments about finding light in the dark and such. That’s about all I can pull out that I liked.

No world building (once again I feel like it was leaning on the hope that I had seen the movie), random flashbacks to two different time points that didn’t flow, and multiple other things.

I unfortunately cannot recommend this one.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Retelling
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of sexual assault and potential rape (on page, but extremely vague)

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Book Review: West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras

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Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 331 pages
Author: Priscilla Oliveras
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: June 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A heart-stirring romance of star-crossed love, feuding familias, and the bonds of sisterhood by USA Today bestselling author Priscilla Oliveras.

Two familias in Texas, both alike in dignity, rivalries, and passion…

Having grown up in the nurturing household of Casa Capuleta, Mariana will do anything for familia. To solve her adoptive parents’ financial problems amid their rapidly changing San Antonio comunidad, Mariana and her younger sisters are determined to win the Battle of the Mariachi Bands. That means competing against Hugo Montero, their father’s archnemesis, and his band and escalating a decades-old feud. It also raises the stakes of Mariana’s forbidden attraction for a certain dark-eyed mariachi who sets her heart racing.

To Angelo Montero’s familia, Mariana is also strictly off-limits. But that doesn’t stop him from pursuing her. As their secret affair intensifies and the competition grows fierce, they’re swept up in a brewing storm of betrayals, rivalries, and broken ties. Against the odds, they vow to bring peace. But sacrifices must be made and consequences weighed for two star-crossed lovers to make beautiful music together.

BLEH.

I wanted to love this so badly y’all. SO BADLY.

The culture and setting? Absolutely loved those. The reason I gave it even 2 stars to begin with. Everything else made me wish I just hadn’t finished.

I think my biggest issue was the writing style. It was intensely focused on over explanation factors. The main plot points were repeated almost every chapter and it needed more substance than that. And anything to do with the characters was mapped out or shown many yards before the character actually did something.

The romance had some cute moments. I didn’t totally find it at fault. The love scenes (even including the kissing scenes) made me straight up cringe. Not smooth or engaging. Poor word choices that I was not a fan of.

Anyways, I’ll stop. This didn’t work for me. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t for you.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: open door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: gentrification, a sibling who runs away, physical altercations

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