Book Review: The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

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Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: Contemporary romance
Length: 404 pages
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
Release Date: July 19th, 2005
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BOOK SUMMARY:

Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership.

Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they’ve hired a lawyer–and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can’t sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the #@%# ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope–and finds love–is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake.

But will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back?

FIRST KINSELLA BOOK.

Was it the best one to choose? I have no idea. I did enjoy this one at least. A comment to the audio book though, did not love it.

Anywho, Samantha definitely had me laughing at some of the antics she got wrapped up in. It was funny and great to see her struggle with some of the very basics of house care. I didn’t love her at first (and that was probably the intention) because of how much of a workaholic she was. The change over the course of the book for Samantha was very needed and well crafted. Her new persona felt like it really matched the true Samantha by the end.

I wish the romance was more developed. Her and Nathaniel went from zero to one-hundred like whoa. Granted, there were some cute moments, especially near the end, that worked in their favor. Overall though, I wanted more.

I’m so glad that this story had some great resolutions. Getting more to Samantha’s life as a lawyer and what happened with her law firm helped me appreciate the entire story. I needed to know that it worked out in Samantha’s favor one way or another and this is why I love a good happy ever after!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance / Fiction
  • Language: some strong throughout
  • Romance: kisses / make-outs; some closed door scenes and a mild open door scene

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Book Review: Foundryside (The Founders Trilogy #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Adult Fantasy
Length: 505 pages
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Publisher: Crown
Release Date: August 21st, 2018
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BOOK SUMMARY:

In a city that runs on industrialized magic, a secret war will be fought to overwrite reality itself.

Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle.

But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic–the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience–have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims.

Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there’s nobody with the power to stop them.

To have a chance at surviving–and at stopping the deadly transformation that’s under way–Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined. 

A GOOD START.

Somehow this fantasy has slipped past my radar! I read it based off a friends recommendation and I overall, really enjoyed this one. Definitely interested in the sequel sometime!

Foundryside is a very plot heavy book. Action scenes take up a lot of pages, as well as magic system breakdown scenes. I liked the idea of the magic system, but honestly, am still a bit confused by it all. Somethings became clearer over time and others are still murky. It is unique though and it never felt like info-dumping during discussions.

I liked the multi-POV set-up too! I love a few narrators during a long fantasy book and this one held up. Getting to see multiple sides to the story from vastly different characters was exactly what this book needed. My only real complaint for this read was that there wasn’t enough characterization for me. While I loved the mixed points of view, I didn’t feel super connected to anyone. Honestly, I can’t even tell you what anyone looks like. I wanted to understand the characters better. Now, this did get better on that front towards the end, so maybe book two helps as well?

The world-building was fascinating (if, like the magic system, confusing). I hope that is also expounded on in book two. I thought by the end I was starting to figure out all of the terminology, yet I’m pretty sure I’m lost on some fronts. This kept my attention though. It’s a slower read style fantasy that takes its time, but packs in the action at the right times.

Overall audience notes:

  • Adult fantasy
  • Language: some mild
  • Romance: kiss
  • Violence: physical altercations, murder, magic, explosions
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: fatmisia, hate slurs, slavery, sexual assault, domestic abuse, PTSD, medical experimentation, gun violence, child trafficking

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Book Review: Her Silent Knight (Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair #1) by Ashtyn Newbold

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Regency romance
Length: 183 pages
Author: Ashtyn Newbold
Publisher: Three Leaf Publishing
Release Date: October 10th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When Sir Edmund catches Miss Selina in a forbidden courtship at the frost fair, she asks for his silence. But he has a request to make in exchange, and it may cost Selina her carefully guarded heart.

CHARMING.

I can’t wait to read more of the books in this series because I really enjoyed this one.

Selina and Edmund were a charming pair and the love triangle kind-of happening honestly didn’t phase me at all. It’s clear from the start where things are going and I appreciated the transparent everything was between them. Edmund and Selina had some cute banter and moments. For a quick-paced romance I didn’t feel the rush. Probably, also because it’s a regency romance and I always feel those tend towards a faster pace.

I loved the setting. Christmastide on the river Thames. It felt atmospheric and romantic. The writing was great and I felt invested from the start. This had some solid kiss moments and the ending was predictably adorable. I love a good Hallmark-y romance read during the season and this was wonderful.

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: Fantasy / Historical Fiction / Romance
Length: 489 pages
Author: V.E. Schwab
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: October 6th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

WORTH THE HYPE.

Without a doubt. If you’ve been on the fence about reading this one (like I was), give it a try.

I feel like this review will be hard to put into words because there’s so much here!! Holy cow, I wanted to highlight every other paragraph in this book. I loved the internal conflict and resolutions, the characters, the story and drama, how the further I went the more enamored and unable to put it down it became.

It does start off a little slow yes, but I found the more I read it settled in. This is a journey, more than the story itself, of Addie, Henry and Luc. Goodness, I can’t help it, I LOVED Luc. I really wish there was more to his background. What a complex character from the get-go. Henry was fantastic as well. He and Addie fit together like puzzle pieces and it was hard not to fall to pieces by the end. I adored Addie too. The resilience to go 300 years with the deal she made was unbelievable. These three working together and apart brought it home. This is a heavily character driven story. The wider plot isn’t as much there as it is about what these characters mean to each other.

Addie had absolutely beautiful writing. It draws you in immediately. Filled with so many moments that will pull at every heart string. I was feeling every little thing by the time those last few chapters rolled around. It’s an interesting conclusion that left me with some questions, but also satisfied. I closed the book knowing just how magnificent of a story I’d finished.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy / Historical Fiction / Romance
  • Language: a little throughout
  • Romance: kisses / make-outs; a few closed door & a few little detailed open door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: attempted assault, abuse, loss of a loved one, substance abuse, depression, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide

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