Tag: audiobook

Book Review: Hawk & Sparrow by Ayana Gray

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Historical Fantasy Mystery Romance
Length: 341 pages
Author: Ayana Gray
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: September 1st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sparks fly in this Gilded Age novel of mystery, magic, and romance by the author of the New York Times–bestselling Beasts of Prey.

Nineteen-year-old Vesper Evans has always resented Basalton’s high society, and the sorcery that provides them with a luxurious life unimaginable to most. Orphaned as a child and rescued by the editor of TheBasalton Globe, Vesper is now an ambitious reporter determined to keep her newspaper afloat.

While covering a lavish society gala, Vesper happens upon a shocking the murdered body of an inventor whose new machine promised to bring the benefits of sorcery to everyone. Several of the powerful magical elite may want the man dead, but the prime suspect is wealthy industrialist Maximilian Kite.

Max soon makes Vesper a tempting Find the culprit and restore his reputation in exchange for a substantial fee. Despite her distaste for Max’s world, Vesper agrees—the money would save the Globe, and the story would be the scoop of a lifetime. There’s only one In order for her to infiltrate society, the two must pose as a courting couple.

Their investigation takes them from the highest echelons of privilege to the seediest backstreets of Basalton. As they unearth the city’s secrets and scandals, Vesper finds herself in grave danger—while falling for one of the most infuriating, arrogant, handsome men she has ever met.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

IT WAS FINE.

I feel super neutral about this book which is making this review hard to write. I did like the audiobook! The narrator was fantastic and if you want to try this, that format would be a great option.

This just wasn’t anything…new? or engaging? I wasn’t mad I was reading it but I also didn’t have a lot of feelings towards the book. There were a LOT of characters and I remember getting confused as to who was who, especially when the reveals started showing up.

I did like the romance. It’s sweet and a light subplot. The reluctant allies to lovers had charm. I especially appreciate that it was young adult appropriate. Kissing only without odd innuendo. There’s a low level on language too. And I like that at least I could recommend it to that age group. The FMC is great too. Strong willed and tenacious in pursuit of the truth.

This is a murder mystery set in an URBAN HISTORICAL (Gilded Age) setting. I made the mistake of assuming it was all fantasy (I don’t read summaries often) and that threw me off a bit. I was kind of hoping for a full fantasy setting so please know that going in. This was a standalone and does wrap up things well.

Overall audience notes:

  • Urban historical fantasy mystery + romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: murder, attempted murder

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Book Review: The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cook (Dungeon Crawler Carl #3) by Matt Dinniman

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Dystopian/Sci-Fi
Length: 532 pages
Author: Matt Dinniman
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: October 22nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Welcome to the Gun Show!

The top ten list is populated. The sponsorship program is open. The difficulty is ramping up. The first three floors were nothing compared to what Carl and Donut now face.

The Iron Tangle. An impossibly-complicated subway system built out of the world’s subterranean railway systems, all combined and then tied together into a knot. Up is down. Down is up. Close is far. The cars are filled with monsters, the railway stations are less than safe, and the exit is always just a few stops away.

But there is hope. For the first time, the crawlers are all working together. The loot is better than ever. And the secret to unraveling it all may be hidden in the pages of a seemingly-useless book. Welcome, crawlers. Welcome to the fourth floor of the dungeon.

THIS COOKED.

Am I cool now? Did I use that right?

Anyways. I finally swung back around to reading the next book in this series and very much enjoyed the journey! I loved the train level dynamic and the chaos that ensued. And I am obsessed with the audiobook narrator who does such an incredible job on all of these voices and bringing this story to life. It is such an easy book to pick up and continue and feel invested.

I liked that this added a relationship to Carl that wasn’t Donut. NO, it is not romantic (and that’s totally fine, I’m not expecting one), but it was nice to get some more relations to their motley crew and see those bonds develop. I hope to see more of them and how they fit into the larger plot. I’m heavily attached to this quirky found family.

Great read, I liked the continuation of the plot and I’m looking forward to the next book!

Overall audience notes:

  • Dystopian/Sci-fi
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance/Sci-Fi
Length: 352 pages
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Simon Audio
Release Date: July 14th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An unforgettable novel in which one fateful accident erases a troubled marriage from memory—and love gets one extraordinary do-over.

Three years ago, Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made her dance, made her feel.

But now, Emery is consumed by her top-secret job, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge research comes to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.

Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule to bring him back. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together…all of it is gone.

It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving.

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

WHAT IN THE SCI-FI?

I think I would have liked this book so much better if the COVER MATCHED ANYTHING ABOUT THIS STORY. At least the title had some nods to it. I didn’t read the summary, because I usually don’t, and man, was I thrown for a loop in the first few chapters.

This felt like a loose sci-fi romance more than anything. With some stretched scientific concepts and an amnesia plot to rule the story. There was even a secret villain and a whole villain monologue to go along with it. I just don’t understand why marketing went this way??

I wanted to like this. I tried. But the whole time I was too focused on the revival plot and the romance started to get lusty rather than actually working out their problems. That eventually came, but further down the line. I did like the communication when it happened and it was an interesting take on the *second chance* concept.

🎧: I did love the audiobook! Duel narrators. Great read. An easy listen and I would recommend that format.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: multiple open door
  • Violence: moderate+
  • Content warnings: near death experiences, being hit by a car, gun violence, kidnapping

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: August 2026

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Fall is in sight! We’re almost to the -ber months and it was a great month of reading. I love seeing the combination of all of these books. Check out my Instagram for reviews or they will be out on this platform in the future!

  • Out of Her League by Ava Rani
  • [Reread] A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.5) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [ARC] Rebel Season (Hockey Boys of Loft 3B #3) by Katie Bailey and Leah Brunner
  • The Assassin’s Way by J.M. Kearl
  • Abby Offsides by Anna McCallie
  • The Lion and the Deathless Dark (Crowns of Nyaxia #5) by Carissa Broadbent
  • [Non-Fiction] The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
  • In the Wake of the Wicked (The Siren Mage #2) by Kalie Cassidy
  • [ARC] Well Versed (Well Met #5) by Jen DeLuca
  • [Reread] House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [ARC] The Bodyguard’s Fall (Falling for Autumn) by Cindy Steel
  • Adversary to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain #4) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
  • [ARC] House of Curses (Royal Houses #3) by K.A. Linde
  • Tropesick by Lauren Okie
  • The Gilded Blade (The Grandest Game #3) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
  • [ARC] The Wretched Divine (The Wretched Divine #1) by Adalyn Grace
  • [ALC] Autumn on My Mind (Falling for Autumn) by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
  • The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy (Dearly Beloathed #2) by Brigitte Knightley
  • The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren
  • City of Lost Kings (Lost Kings Duet #1) by Kristen R. Moore
  • Cursed Ever After by Andy C. Naranjo
  • [ARC] This Change Everything by Danielle McKechnie
  • [ARC/ALC] Daughter of the Dark (Daughters of Auquis #1) by R.J. Valldeperas
  • Star-Crossed Summer by Devon Daniels
  • [ARC] Miss Beresford and the Beast (Daughters of Somerset #1) by Mimi Matthews
  • [ARC] Here We Go Again (Georgia Jaguars Hockey #2) by Jenny Proctor
  • The Butcher’s Masquerade (Dungeon Crawler Carl #5) by Matt Dinniman
  • [Reread] A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses #5) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [ARC] Harbinger by Geneva Lee
  • [ALC] Love Felt Like This by Julie Olivia
  • To Drown a Witch by Lindsey Olsson
  • Ashwalker (The Emberfall Trilogy #1) by S.M. Gaither
  • Immortal Rose (Immortal Rose Duology #1) by Alexandra Bracken
  • [Novella] All the Time in the World by Cara Bastone

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