Book Review: Sunkissed by Kasie West

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary + Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: May 4th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A lighthearted and swoony contemporary YA romance by fan-favorite author Kasie West about a girl who finds that a summer spent at a family resort isn’t as bad as she imagined…and that falling in love is filled with heartache, laughter, and surprises!

After being betrayed by her best friend, Avery is hoping for a picture-perfect summer. Too bad her parents have dragged her and her sister to a remote family camp for the entire summer. And that’s not even the worst part. Avery also has to deal with no internet, a cute but off-limits staff member, and an always-in-her-face sister.

But what starts as a disaster turns into a whirlwind summer romance as Avery embarks on an unexpected journey to figure out what she truly wants and who she wants to be.

HIT HOME.

This made me want to relive some of my high school years and figure out some aspects of my life. I love how this was approached. Watching Avery find her passion and owning her truths to her family and friends really resonated. I have been deeply reminded why I love Kasie West’s books and the way she’s able to captivate and fill my cup.

Avery was a great teenage main character. Not over the top dramatic, but honest in her faults, and struggling to remember her strengths. I loved her character progression and how she took a chance on her summer to try new things.

Add in a sweet romance with Brooks and I was smitten. Teen, summer love! Oh how cute. I liked their relationship a lot too. From being honest with one another, and learning (and admitting) about communications issues felt true. This whole book was a warm summer hug.

I read it in a day and it was super cute and relatable to my soul.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary + Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: a parent in a care home (unable to care for themselves after a stroke)

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ARC Book Review: On Schedule (The Wedding Business #3) by Summer Dowell

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Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 279 pages
Author: Summer Dowell
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: February 17th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I’m a huge fan of love and marriage and all that gushy stuff. Just for other people. Not me.

Avery:
I’m a simple woman. All I want is for my wedding planning business to thrive. That’s it. I don’t want some annoying photographer (Okay, I’ll admit it. He’s attractive. In a guy-you-want-to-hate kinda way) that tries with moderate success to get under my skin. I don’t need some adorable stray puppy that’s just dying to make me a dog mom. I don’t want any of it. All right?


Tyler:
I mean, am I attracted to Avery? Sure. If you’re into the big brown eyes and full soft lips kinda thing. She may or may not have sneaked her way into my film roll more times than I can count this week. But as enticing as Avery is, she has a bite to go with it. Like a tiger, just waiting for you to come close and count its stripes so it can attack. But what if there’s more to her than the human checklist vibe she gives off? And what if I’m drawn to that part?

A laugh-out-loud, clean romance that is full of all the sarcasm and swoons! ♥♥♥ 

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

BEST OF THE SERIES.

Well I absolutely devoured this in a day. Without a doubt my favorite of this series.

I am usually not one to laugh at my books while reading, but this one had me laughing multiple times. The perfect amount of snark and banter between Tyler and Avery. I loved the right dose of sarcasm and the sweetness combined for chemistry from the get-go. I really loved them together and I liked all of the forced proximity (and cute puppy) aspects that helped Avery take down some of her walls.

The only small thing I could have added would be an extension to a few scenes. The book is under 300 pages and at times I felt one or two things could have been further expounded upon. But that’s a tiny complaint compared to how much I adored this.

I looooved the setting with the wedding business, the photography (that darkroom moment though!!!), and yes I’m going to mention again, A CUTE PUPPY. I love a great dual-POV sweet romcom and this delivered.

The conflict worked well into the build-up of the plot and I liked that it wasn’t overdrawn. I knew what was going to happen, but wasn’t frustrated because it made sense. I’m just happy everyone came to their senses and that a sweet epilogue was added to the end to boot. Another great read from this author!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: The Burning God (The Poppy War #3) by R.F. Kuang

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 640 pages
Author: R.F. Kuang
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: November 17th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The exciting end to the Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang’s acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect.

 After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead.

Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much—the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges—and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation.

Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it?

ONE NOTE.

I know I’m the unpopular opinion here, buuuut I didn’t love this conclusion.

I really wanted more from Rin. I thought she spent too much of this book hell bent on revenge that the warm themes became very one note. It was travel here, destroy some of the villains, travel here, repeat. It’s very violent, which I was fine with, but wanted something more. I don’t think every book needs a romance. I do think (at least in this books case) it needed ONE soft thing. Something to see that Rin had another side to her (maybe that was the point? These are just my thoughts).

Anyways, it was fine. I listened to it on audio and that was a great medium for this series. I liked seeing Nezha and what he was up to and the twisted way this story played out. It’s very nuanced and intricate in regards to some aspects. This series is harsh in nature and an emotional read at times.

The ending let me down. There was one aspect to it that made me want to throw a book. The longer I sit on it, I can see the intention of the decision, but I still think things could have worked out a bit differently. And it didn’t feel like it actually ended either?? I don’t know. A huge mixed bag of thoughts for a series I was initially in love with.

Overall audience notes:

  • High fantasy
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: none
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: extreme depictions of blood/gore, rape, war themes, suicide, mass loss of life, magical and physical altercations, torture, executions, and more that I might have missed; please check into the content before reading!

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Book Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: NA Contemporary romance
Length: 421 pages
Author: Casey McQuiston
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: May 14th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations. The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

MIXED THOUGHTS.

I know this is an unpopular opinion, buuuut it is what it is. I didn’t love this. Truly didn’t hate it either, just felt some disconnects.

What I did love was HENRY. He was one of my favorites. Him and Alex together were great. I loved anytime they got those precious soft and quiet moments where I could really feel the love between them. It was passionate and bold and had me absolutely cheering for them.

I struggled with the first half of the book because I thought it got hot and heavy too fast. Everytime Alex and Henry saw each other it was to run off to a closet and have sex. I wanted more burn and angst from them! That’s why I loved the second half more. More emotional connections and heartfelt conversations that swept me away.

Sometimes the political storyline really took me out of the book. Whenever it switched from the romance side of things I felt a detachment. Once again, this was somewhat remedied (at least on Henry’s end) in the second half of the book, but at that point it had become something majorly noticeable to me.

I absolutely LOVED the side characters (especially Alex’s Mom). They were funny, creative and so well written. I got a clear personality and intention from each of them and that really helped the entire story.

I liked how the ending wrapped up and the story at its heart was solid. I had a mixed bag of thoughts, but I’m glad I finally picked this one up.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Contemporary romance
  • Language: very strong and often
  • Romance: open and closed door scenes
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: homophobia, implied sexual assault (in the past of a side character)

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