Tag: audiobook

Book Review: Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Anna Sortino
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Release Date: July 11th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Jenny Han meets CODA in this big-hearted YA debut about first love and Deaf pride at a summer camp.

Lilah is stuck in the middle. At least, that’s what having a hearing loss seems like sometimes—when you don’t feel “deaf enough” to identify as Deaf or hearing enough to meet the world’s expectations. But this summer, Lilah is ready for a change.

When Lilah becomes a counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, her plan is to brush up on her ASL. Once there, she also finds a community. There are cute British lifeguards who break hearts but not rules, a YouTuber who’s just a bit desperate for clout, the campers Lilah’s responsible for (and overwhelmed by)—and then there’s Isaac, the dreamy Deaf counselor who volunteers to help Lilah with her signing.

Romance was never on the agenda, and Lilah’s not positive Isaac likes her that way. But all signs seem to point to love. Unless she’s reading them wrong? One thing’s for Lilah wanted change, and things here . . . they’re certainly different than what she’s used to.

INFORMATIVE.

I looooved how much this book taught me. Easily my favorite aspect of reading this. And I also loved the way the audio was put together too. The whole production was fantastic.

I liked Lilah as a FMC. Very much a YA lead, and easily relatable to first love, finding your path and trying to enjoy those last breaths of summer. I loved the camp setting and all of the growth it allowed for. I do wish the book was a bit more positive overall. Not that it was heavy, but the negativity seemed at the front a lot.

The romance was super cute. I loved seeing Isaac and Lilah figure each other out and stumble as they connected. It was realistic and sweet and I liked how the ending was handled with them too.

This was a great debut novel and I think a solid young adult book for teenagers.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: many accounts of ableism, accusation and wrongful police arrest

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Book Review: A Kingdom of Nomads (Outcast #2) by S.B. Nova

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 940 pages
Author: S.B. Nova
Publisher: Night Owl Publishing
Release Date: January 29th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As the darkness grows, so must the light…

Branded as enemies of the fae kingdom, Serena and her friends are on the run from the witch queen, Morgan. They reach sanctuary, only to discover shocking secrets that separate them.

Serena’s newfound destiny takes her to a land plagued by endless war. To survive there, she is forced to bloody her sword, escape an evil king, and confront a god.

But when her brother is captured, she faces her greatest challenge yet. She must harness a deadly magic and embrace the wild witch within. Not only to free her kin, but to save her mate and protect the realm from a queen who’d murder the world just to wear a crown.

WAY TOO LONG.

I don’t think I would have gotten through this if it wasn’t for buddy reading it and listening to it on audio. I just don’t know why this needed to be nearly 1,000 pages long? It’s basically one very long-winded travel story with out a whole lot happening until the last 20%.

Not to mention, I waited WAY TOO FLIPPIN’ LONG to find out more about how the romance is working out. I won’t say details for spoiler reasons. But I’m very conflicted and was hoping for a different angle. I don’t know, maybe book three will work this issue out.

There’s some good moments throughout. The plot did eventually move forward at a glacial pace. I still needed more action and more general things happening. There’s random POV’s of some of the side characters thrown in and I also don’t think this added to the story.

I have been waiting for this sequel for years and I really wish it had worked out as a better read for me. Will I read book three? Probably so.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 2-3 open door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: battle scenes, blood/gore depiction, sexual assault, murder, physical and weapons violence, loss of loved ones

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Book Review: Play for Me by Libby Hubscher

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Libby Hubscher
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 20th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When her new job takes her to a New England boarding school, she’s surprised to find her roommates are all men – including a very handsome one who plays by his own rules. 

Sophie Doyle has her dream job as the head athletic trainer for her favorite baseball team (go Red Sox!), a handsome boyfriend, and easy access to the finest cannoli in Boston. When she loses all three and the World Series to boot, she’s forced to apply for the open trainer position at an arts-focused boarding school in New Hampshire. The only available room is a glorified closet in an apartment with three guys: Jonas Voss, the aloof and attractive orchestra teacher, and his two rambunctious roommates.

Sophie knows that training a bunch of privileged high school kids whose idea of a play is A Chorus Line instead of a walk-off homer is going to be a big change from the pro athletes she’s used to. She wasn’t expecting that these students would have big-time talent and even bigger-time problems. Sophie has troubles of her own—Jonas is a full-fledged grump who clearly doesn’t want her near him or the precious piano he never plays.

With sunny optimism, Sophie sets out to win over Jonas and help the kids she’s growing attached to. But when her relationship with Jonas moves to the major leagues and plans change at the end of the season, they have to choose whether they are playing for keeps.

NOTHING MAJOR.

I will first say though that I am very well versed in athletic training and I was going to have a big issue if this was misconstrued. BUT WHAT DO YOU KNOW. It wasn’t. And I super appreciate the author clearly being knowledgeable about the subject. Added another level of enjoyment for me.

The romance grew on me. Though I felt overall a bit meh towards it. I don’t know, some kind of lack of chemistry? I loved that there were great conversations and some really sweet moments and I just wish I could pin down that last missing component. I think the entire book needed MORE romance. It read a bit like women’s fiction (which is fine, but not what I was after when I picked this up).

I adored all of the side characters from the other teachers, to the students, and especially Sophie’s Dad. There’s cute and heartfelt moments mixed in with the pain of an aging parent and losing the job you loved. I thought the ending wrapped things up well and I was smitten with the sweetness.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: a Dad with Parkinson’s, allusions towards an abusive father

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Book Review: The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fiction + Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Courtney Walsh
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: July 2nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A near-death experience catapults workaholic junior editor Kelsey Worthington into changing her life–one yes at a time.

Kelsey Worthington always dreamed of being a writer, but she’s settled into a routine of helping other people tell their stories in her job as a junior editor. She doesn’t go outside of her comfort zone. Her relationships are safe. Her job is secure. Her existence is stable. And she’s great with that.

And then, the accident.

While she’s in the hospital overnight, she meets an older woman named Georgina Tate–a glass-ceiling-shattering, wildly successful businesswoman. Georgina sacrificed everything to become the woman she is today, but now, with a pair of failing kidneys and only a handful of months left to live, Georgina is forced to come face-to-face with her regrets. Kelsey is forced to reckon with her own list of “things I’ll do someday,” and she starts to ask a simple but life-changing What if I said yes to all the things I normally say no to? And The Yes Plan is born.

It takes some convincing, but Georgina finally agrees to go along with Kelsey on her Summer of Yes adventures. The two of them set off to see what might be out there waiting for them if they simply open themselves up to it. Together, they say yes to whatever comes their way–a whole day being tourists in their own New York City, dinner with strangers, a convertible that is far from practical but so much fun. But when Kelsey springs a surprise visit to Georgina’s son Hayden and Georgina’s ex-husband (who is not so much of an ex), the older woman is less than thrilled. But this is where the true journey begins.

Two stories of love, forgiveness, regret, romance, and finding a way to live a fearless life intertwine as these two women make an indelible impression on each other. And it all starts with a simple “yes.”

WHAT A GEM.

I loved this. As someone who struggles with the same fears and issues surrounding saying “yes” more often, this felt like a book written for me. I loved Kelsey’s journey. I loved seeing her find herself and choosing to say more often enough to realize all of the little things she has been missing (and of course, finding love too!!).

And I really loved Georgina. Her story line brought me to some misty eyed moments and I loved that seeing her growth and she learned some hard truths and took the best step forward to finally reconnect with her family.

I liked the audiobook. I thought the romance was absolutely adorable. It was sweet read that had a lot of wonderful themes that are easy to connect to and this is a new favorite!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Fiction + Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content Warnings: a character with kidney disease

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