Book Review: Glimpsed by G.F. Miller

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult contemporary romance
Length: 374 pages
Author: G.F. Miller
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Release Date: January 5th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Perfect for fans of Geekerella and Jenn Bennett, this charming, sparkly rom-com follows a wish-granting teen forced to question if she’s really doing good—and if she has the power to make her own dreams come true.

Charity is a fairy godmother. She doesn’t wear a poofy dress or go around waving a wand, but she does make sure the deepest desires of the student population at Jack London High School come true. And she knows what they want even better than they do because she can glimpse their perfect futures.

But when Charity fulfills a glimpse that gets Vibha crowned homecoming queen, it ends in disaster. Suddenly, every wish Charity has ever granted is called into question. Has she really been helping people? Where do these glimpses come from, anyway? What if she’s not getting the whole picture?

Making this existential crisis way worse is Noah—the adorkable and (in Charity’s opinion) diabolical ex of one of her past clients—who blames her for sabotaging his prom plans and claims her interventions are doing more harm than good. He demands that she stop granting wishes and help him get his girl back. At first, Charity has no choice but to play along. But soon, Noah becomes an unexpected ally in getting to the bottom of the glimpses. Before long, Charity dares to call him her friend…and even starts to wish he were something more. But can the fairy godmother ever get the happily ever after?

NERDY AND ADORABLE.

This was such a cute YA read. On the lighter side with a fun twist on the classic fairy godmother play. I really enjoyed this one and yay for Bookstagram putting it on my radar!

One of the little things I loved was how often Charity changed the color of her hair and how I desperately wish I could do the same. I love how quick she was to help others and was truly a nice person. Her flaws were there, but so was her growth and acknowledgement that maybe things could go a different way.

Charity’s relationship with Noah was ADORABLE. Totes adorbs. A bit of enemies to lovers, lots of Star Trek discussions and more. They had instant chemistry and I thought the banter was fantastic. Noah was incredibly sweet and I really fell in love with these two.

I didn’t find the conflicts and teenage drama frustrating. It worked well into the story and I had a hard time putting this down. A great read, loved it.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary romance
  • Language: little
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: Blood Sworn (Ashlords #2) by Scott Reintgen

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 400 pages
Author: Scott Reintgen
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: February 16th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Three cultures clash in all out war–against each other and against the gods–in the second book of this fantasy duology that’s sure to capture fans of The Hunger Games and An Ember in the Ashes.

The Races are over. War has begun.

Ashlord and Longhand armies battle for control of the Empire as Dividian rebels do their best to survive the crossfire. This is no longer a game. It’s life or death.

Adrian, Pippa, and Imelda each came out of the Races with questions about their role in the ongoing feud. The deeper they dig, the clearer it is that the hatred between their peoples has an origin point: the gods.

Their secrets are long-buried, but one disgruntled deity is ready to unveil the truth. Every whisper leads back to the underworld. What are the gods hiding there? As the sands of the Empire shift, these heroes will do everything they can to aim their people at the true enemy. But is it already too late?

I’M HERE FOR THE COVER.

Shamelessly read this duology based off of the covers because they’re GORGEOUS. Yes yes, I’ll also discuss the book too.

This one surprised me! Based off of how Ashlords went down I was imagining many scenaries for book two. And pretty much none of those happened. Blood Sworn turned in a different direction and plot then expected. I was confused at first if I was going to like it, but by the end was happy with how things worked out.

I love the multiple POV’s here. Getting an angle from each different group in the empire. This is a HIGH action book where every chapter something is going on. Whether fighting gods, kinsmen, or arguing over how to save the world. I really enjoyed this on audio and was able to keep pace with everything happening.

The romance was a bit of a let down. If you’re going to add it then it needs more than a few pages in the entire series dedicated to it. Otherwise the focus could be placed in other ways. It was cute at the end seeing some HEAs. Even if I wanted to see more of their connections throughout.

This duology wrapped up well. I don’t remember any specific things that were left too open-ended. Those got what was coming to them, and things seemed to be looking up at the end.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult fantasy
  • Language: some
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: skirmishes, battles, war, murder

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Book Review: Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Libby Hubscher
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: March 23rd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Marin Cole has never:
Seen the ocean
Climbed a mountain
Taken a risk on love
….But if her sister’s plan works, she just might do all three.

Ever since her journalist mother died on assignment, Marin has played it safe, refusing to set foot outside the state of Tennessee. Her wild-child younger sister, Sadie, has trotted the globe as a photographer, living off of art and adrenaline.

When Sadie returns from a tough assignment abroad and looks a little worse for wear, Marin reluctantly agrees to a sisters’ spa weekend on the tropical island of Saba. But her lifelong fear of travel is affirmed when Sadie misses the flight, Marin’s luggage gets mixed up with another passenger’s, and an episode of turbulence sends her hurtling into the lap of Lucas Tsai, the handsome stranger who stole her sister’s seat.

For the first time in a long time, Marin has to step outside of her comfort zone as she explores the island with Lucas and learns what she’s been missing out on. With each breathtaking new experience, Marin gets closer to her real self, the man she’s falling for, and the heart-wrenching truth about why she’s there in the first place.

EMOTIONALLY BEAUTIFUL.

LOVED THIS BOOK SO DANG MUCH Y’ALL.

This was filled with so much!!

I love the strong bonds of sisterhood. Marin and her sister, Sadie were partners in life and everything else. I adored both of them with all of my heart and their family dynamic hit home in many ways. I’m going to start crying just trying to type this review out.

The romance was incredibly tender. It was somehow quick-moving but perfectly paced. I was all in from the moment Lucas sat beside Marin on the plane. It was incredibly romantic and had me swooning and cheering them on. It was everything I love to see in an passionate island getaway.

The setting had me wanting to brave my own fear of flying and get on a plane ASAP. It was enchanting and the locals were fantastic. I love that Marin got to meet many new people and really explore for the first time in her life.

Marin had incredible growth. She stretched and found a whole new world to stand in. Marin chose herself [finally] first and it allowed her to be able to see where she wanted to go next and with who.

Many times I was brought close to tears and the pure raw emotion emanating from the pages. This story will break you completely down and still be able to hand out hope in the end. I love how this combined life and love together to create one magnificent read. I couldn’t put this down and I loved every second of it (even if I wanted to cry half the time).

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses to closed door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: a dicey plane ride, a loved one with terminal illness, loss of a parent

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Book Review: Sovereign Sacrifice (Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles #4) by Elise Kova

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 326 pages
Author: Elise Kova
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Release Date: October 19th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Vi was supposed to be the perfect crown princess. Then, she abandoned her throne.
Vi was supposed to save the world as its Champion. Then, the world she loved vanished.

Now, all she knows is that she has deadly magic and brutal cunning and she’s ready to settle some scores.

Old loves and new allies tell her to play it safe. But Vi is done with caution. She has a chance to right ancient wrongs and this princess-turned-warrior isn’t turning back.

She’s ready to bring an end to the vortex of death the world is trapped in.

The magic, romance, and epic adventure continue in book four of Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles.

TOO MUCH OF A FLASHBACK.

I feel like I’ve really struggled through this series. It’s up and down. This was more of a down for me.

My biggest issue was that this book was essentially a flashback. I haaaaate flashback books. It’s fine when it’s part of the story that’s going forward, and yeah, things were moving forward. Yet this entire time it was essentially old news. I knew what was going to happen.

I’m still into the romance between Taavin and Vi. It’s sweet. I wish there was more between them. I’ve been enjoying the banter and the quiet moments they get together. It makes me hopeful for the finale of this series.

I don’t feel like I have much to say. I do enjoy the writing and the series at its base. This was just mostly a dud for me.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult fantasy
  • Language: light
  • Romance: kisses/make-outs
  • Violence: physical altercations, murder, elemental magic

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