Book Review: All I Want for Christmas by Wendy Loggia

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 240 pages
Author: Wendy Loggia
Publisher: Underlined
Release Date: November 3rd, 2020
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BOOK SUMMARY:

This sweet and magical romance about a girl who has just one wish–someone to kiss under the mistletoe–is the perfect holiday escape!

Bailey Briggs is counting down the days to Christmas: she lives for holiday music, baking cookies, going on snowy sleigh rides, and wearing her light-up reindeer ears to work at Winslow’s bookstore. But all she really wants this year is the one thing she doesn’t have: someone special to kiss under the mistletoe. And she’s 100 percent certain that that someone isn’t Jacob Marley–athlete, player, and of questionable taste in girlfriends–and that Charlie, the mysterious stranger with the British accent, is the romantic lead of her dreams. Is she right? This will be a December to remember, filled with real-life Christmas magic . . . and, if she stays on Santa’s nice list, a wish that just might come true. 

DEFINITELY CHRISTMASY.

Welllllll. I’ll give it points for bringing out every Christmas vibe possible. It did have me wishing I could whip out a sweater in the 100 degree heat outside my window.

This turned out to be a love triangle and we allllll know I tend to not love them. This was another case of that fact. Bailey came off as really whiny most of the time and was focused a lot on looks rather than character/personality of the two boys. Quickly it became clear who was going to choose and when that reveal came out I found myself not too keen on it all. Magical realism thrown into a story to finish it off, isn’t a great finisher in my mind.

Super cheesy and I do think younger audiences would enjoy all of the holiday atmosphere. It’s overall sweet and charming. I loved all of the activities that Bailey got to go do and I just wish the love triangle was taken out of it.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: minor car accident

Book Review: The Mask Falling (The Bone Season #4) by Samantha Shannon

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 514 pages
Author: Samantha Shannon
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: January 26th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Dreamwalker Paige Mahoney has eluded death again. Snatched from the jaws of captivity and consigned to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of Paris, she finds herself caught between those factions that seek Scion’s downfall and those who would kill to protect the Rephaim’s puppet empire.

The mysterious Domino Program has plans for Paige, but she has ambitions of her own in this new citadel. With Arcturus Mesarthim-her former enemy-at her side, she embarks on an adventure that will lead her from the catacombs of Paris to the glittering hallways of Versailles. Her risks promise high reward: the Parisian underworld could yield the means to escalate her rebellion to outright war.

As Scion widens its bounds and the free world trembles in its shadow, Paige must fight her own memories after her ordeal at the hands of Scion. Meanwhile, she strives to understand her bond with Arcturus, which grows stronger by the day. But there are those who know the revolution began with them-and could end with them.

MY EYES BETTER HAVE DECEIVED ME.

UH.

I REFUSE TO BELIEVE WHAT I JUST READ.

RE. FUSE.

No no no no no no no.

Yes, it did end on a cliffhanger. One of those what just happened kinda moments. Fair warning. We’ve waited years for this book and IT HURT.

Though honestly, this book was fantastic. I was so excited when I finally got my library copy. I love this story and the characters. It’s really impressive world building and its magic system is intensely intricate.

I am smitten with Arcturus and Paige. SMITTEN. To finally have some moments between them had me shouting YESSSSSS. I love their connection and the way they lift each other up and provide steady support.

My only tiny issue (and why I took half a star off) was because of Paige’s antics. She kept having to do something dumb to further the plot and it was annoying me. Paige is intelligent and sharp so seeing some of the decisions had me shrugging.

Otherwise. Great read. Fantastic. For a thick fantasy book it really flew by. I liked the change of location and the new plot lines unraveling. Getting more answers to questions needed was a nice touch too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: kisses to closed door scene
  • Violence: skirmishes, physical altercations, torture (fairly gruesome descriptions)
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: PTSD, loss of loved ones

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Book Review: With You Forever (Bergman Brothers #4) by Chloe Liese

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 350 pages
Author: Chloe Liese
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: September 14th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Cozy up for a heartfelt, humorous, sizzling slow-burn in this marriage of convenience romance about finding love—and home—in the most unlikely of places.​

Axel

Rooney Sullivan is sunshine incarnate. Warm, bright, always smiling, she’s everything I’m not and the last person I have any business desiring. Desperate to hide a hopeless attraction, I’ve done everything possible to keep my distance…until a charades game gone wrong brought that to a grinding halt. 

Since then, steering clear of Rooney has been impossible. In a matter of months, she’s kissed me speechless, commandeered my art career, and infiltrated not only my dreams but my home. The woman who was once avoidable has become the last thing I needed: temptingly within reach.

Rooney

Axel Bergman is a gorgeous grump who doesn’t have the time of day for me. Thankfully, I’ve kept my crush under wraps…well, until I kissed him. Charades got away from me, okay? It was an accident! I haven’t seen him since, which is for the best. My life is a mess, and the last thing I need is to embarrass myself further with the man who avoids me like that’s his job rather than painting modern masterpieces.

It seems the universe, however, has a different plan. When Axel and I unexpectedly find our paths—and problems—converging, a marriage of convenience proves the perfect solution. At least, until I’m facing my most serious problem yet: a once-loveless marriage of convenience that’s inconveniently become a love match, after all.

With You Forever is a sunshine and grump, marriage of convenience romance about a shy artist on the autism spectrum*, and a smiley smartypants who has a chronic IBD. Complete with combustible cooking lessons, interfering family and friends, and a steamy slow burn, this standalone is the fourth in a series of novels about a Swedish-American family of five brothers, two sisters, and their wild adventures as they each find happily ever after.

*This is an #OwnVoices story for its portrayal of autism by an autistic author.

A NEW FAVORITE.

I loooooooooved this book SO DANG MUCH. I flipped when it finally dropped on my kindle and read it in a day. I could not and did not want to put it down ever. I flew through this magnificent love story that gave me all the feels from laughter to tears. What a beautiful book. If you only get through this paragraph PLEASE READ IT.

I would call this one of those perfect romance. Where I can’t even think of one nuanced complaint other then that it ended too soon because it could never end I would keep reading this forever.

Rooney is the sunshine heroine with a chronic illness. Something she hides from those she loves and something that has flared up badly enough she had to take a break. I love her vulnerability and strength. Allowing Axel to see the “ugly” sides of her that he made her realize would never change a thought in his mind about her. I loved Rooney’s sunshine along with the rain.

Axel, who is autistic, struggles with emotions and expressing them towards others. He’s the grump to Rooney’s sunshine. As Axel’s layers started to peel away, you really get to the heart of why he feels a certain way about himself and his “eternal” bachelorhood. I love how this two connected and allowed a space for each of them to explore new thoughts and express words that they needed to say to one another (and to the loved ones in their circles). It was emotional and romantic. Tender and incredibly heartfelt. I LOVED every single interaction between them.

Add in a marriage of convenience, a cabin in the woods, and some cute critters and this book is everything I love about the romance genre. Rooney and Axel’s love story was compelling and so full of truth that is undeniable. I swooned many many times and this book is going to live rent free in my mind for the foreseeable future.

Overall Audience Notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: occasionally strong
  • Romance: kisses to multiple open door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: chronic illness (IBD)

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Book Review: The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆ ☆
Audience: Historical Fiction + Romance
Length: 444 pages
Author: Amy Harmon
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Release Date: March 16th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the bestselling author of What the Wind Knows and From Sand and Ash comes a powerful love story about a musical duo who put everything on the line to be together.

New York, 1960: For Benny Lament, music is his entire life. With his father’s deep ties to the mob, the Bronx piano man has learned that love and family can get you in trouble. So he keeps to himself, writing songs for other musicians, avoiding the spotlight…until the night his father brings him to see Esther Mine sing.

Esther is a petite powerhouse with a gorgeous voice. And when Benny writes a hit song and performs it with her, their collaboration thrusts the duo onto the national stage…and stirs up old issues and new scrutiny that the mob—and Benny—would rather avoid.

It would be easier to walk away. But the music and the woman are too hard for the piano man to resist. Benny’s songs and Esther’s vocals are an explosive combination, a sound that fans can’t get enough of. But though America might love the music they make together, some people aren’t ready for Benny Lament and Esther Mine on—or off—the stage.

A BEAUTIFUL STORY.

Seriously. Here I am again singing the praises of Amy Harmon’s writing. It’s beautiful and captivating. Emotional and always hopeful. Wow did I love this book (like I love all of her books, favorite author alert).

I can’t say enough about the audio version of this too. The narrator brings Benny TO LIFE. It was so smooth and enriching. If you get a chance to listen to this (available on KU) highly recommend!

The storytelling here left me speechless. I felt so many emotions reading this. And the way that music played such a deep role for both Benny and Esther made me wish that this was a movie. Esther and Benny had immediate chemistry and the BEST banter. It all felt so natural and Benny’s passion for Esther had me swooning.

Add in a fantastic side cast and this book soared even higher. I loved Pop and Esther’s brothers. I found in them a well rounded story. Filling all angles and opinions needed to fit this book. I just love what this LOVE story showcased and how it all enfused a sense of hope for a better tomorrow.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fiction + romance
  • Language: some
  • Romance: kisses & a mostly closed door scene
  • Violence: gun violence, physical altercations, murder, poisoning
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: racism, micro-aggressions, segregation, murder of loved ones

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