Book Review: Creatures of Chaos (Creatures of Chaos #1) by Julie Hall

December 12, 2024November 10, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 445 pages
Author: Julie Hall
Publisher: Julie Hall LLC
Release Date: October 29th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Perfect for fans of forbidden love, high-stakes games, and everything supernatural. Creatures of Chaos is a fast-paced YA urban fantasy series that’s being called The Serpent and the Wings of Night meets Crave.

Chaos, the vicious supernatural competition where heroes are born and riches are won.

To most, it’s just an urban legend whispered in the darkest shadows, but that all changes when my best friend drags me into a savage world where vampires, shifters, and fae compete for glory and fame.

As a creature without magic, I’d be a fool to enter Chaos, but the prize—a dagger of untold power—could change my powerless existence. With that dagger, I could wield magic, earn respect, and maybe, just maybe, win the heart of the dragon heir… it’s a risk I have to take.

Now, I’m pitted against beasts in a ruthless battle with no powers, no plan, and an infuriatingly attractive ally who’s just as likely to slit my neck as save it. Every round of Chaos leads me closer to seizing my deepest desires or losing everything.

In Chaos, survival is the only rule. And winning is all that matters.

Thank you to Book of Matches Media and Julie Hall for the gifted copy.

AN AUSPICIOUS START.

I haven’t read a fantasy in about a week (which is a long time for me okay?) and this reminded me that I need to deep dive right back in. I loved all of the different creatures and shifters and look forward to seeing further explorations of everyone’s powers and how they work in the world.

The games really did bring the chaos and I loved the added elements of the different activities and surprises that were involved. The love triangle had my attention and I am hopeful about the direction for future books. What’s also nice about this book is that is YA. And it stays too that. The language level and romantic aspects are low while still bringing plenty of swoon and heated moments.

There were other tropes woven in that I loved seeing (aka found family). The early beginnings of those strong bonds that will carry through the series are some of my favorite. I liked the high action and intrigue, deadly trials and a FMC who is tough beyond doubt. OKAY AND I would also love to give a quick nod to the fact that Locklyn has supportive and “normal” parents because I don’t think those kind of family dynamics are seen enough in books.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy
Language: low
Romance: heated kisses
Violence: moderate

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ARC Review: A Monsoon Rising (The Hurricane Wars #2) by Thea Guanzon

December 11, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Thea Guanzon
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: December 10th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm in this highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurricane Wars—prepare for more enemies-to-lovers romance, magical adventures, and political schemes in this Southeast Asian-inspired world.

After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn were thrust into an alliance between their homelands that was supposed to end the fighting; however, being married to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. Now Talasyn must play the part of Alaric’s willing empress while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But the longer the couple are forced together, the harder it becomes to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them. When the time comes to act, can she trust him, or must she ignore her heart for the sake of so many others?

As the master of the Shadowforged Legion, Alaric has trained for battle all his life, but marrying a Lightweaver might be his most dangerous challenge yet. With tensions between nations churning, he needs to focus on the greater threat—the Moonless Dark, a cataclysmic magical event that could devour everything. Only he and Talasyn can stop it, with a powerful merging of light and shadow that they alone can create together. But saving their world from this disaster is a mere preface to his father’s more sinister schemes, and his wife is a burning flame in the darkness, tempting both his loyalties and his desires.

The Hurricane Wars aren’t over. It’s time to choose what—and who—to fight for. The world holds its breath amidst a whirlwind of new magic and old secrets that could change everything.

Thank you Harper Voyager for my gifted copy and LibroFM for the audiobook.

VIBIN’

I just enjoy the heck out of this series y’all. It’s incredibly romance centric and I am smitten with Alaric and Talasyn. They epitomize what I love about these types of romantasy books and I am intensely involved in what’s going to happen next. BECAUSE DID YOU READ THAT CLIFFHANGER? I love the drama.

I think it’s amazing how high the angst and tension is between these two. And yet we get a showcase of Alaric and Talasyn working together (which I adore in E2L books). There’s a lot of push and pull and some compromise filled with politicking and subtle betrayals. It really is a fantastic continuation that holds it’s own candle. There’s no sophomore slump here, I was hooked to this story from the start and I loved all of the micro-tropes throughout that had me howling.

And I immensely appreciate a dual POV romance and love getting Alaric’s viewpoint. I am having the best time reading these books and the flair of the drama and romance. And yes, I’M STILL THINKING OF THAT CLIFFHANGER.

Overall audience notes:

Romantasy
Language: mild
Romance: 3 open door
Violence: high
Content Warnings: parental abuse, death and loss of loved ones

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Book Review: The Rules of Mistletoe by Taylor Epperson

December 11, 2024November 8, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 203 pages
Author: Taylor Epperson
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: October 5th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s got a list of rules and he’s about to break them all.

Rules for my future boyfriend (husband):

3. He always opens doors for me
6. He has to lean (like in While You Were Sleeping)
8. He has a good relationship with his mother
11. He loves watching romcoms and thrillers (because I have excellent taste in movies across a variety of genres)

I, Holly Nelson, have been dreaming about the perfect romance my entire life. You know the kind: guy and girl have an adorable meet cute and slowly, over the course of the movie, fall madly in love. I have spent hours of my life watching romcoms and I now have a list of qualities and rules for my perfect man.

I finally found him, but I haven’t figured out how to get him to notice me. Instead, I’m stuck with Drew Rossi.

Andrew (Drew) Rossi doesn’t fit a single item on my list and yet he’s coming home with me for Christmas, posing as my boyfriend. He breaks every single one of my rules, well, except for maybe #5, because he does have an arm full of tattoos. But Drew is not my perfect guy, and we both know it.

This fake relationship started because of a misunderstanding, but when Drew agrees to help me land my dream man & he agrees to follow my rules, I reluctantly agree. We don’t actually like each other, so what could go wrong?

FLOUNDERED.

I wanted to love this, instead I really struggled with multiple aspects and unexplained plot points that were never resolved. Why the list? Why did we never get more true details about it? Those are the beginning of the questions I have.

There’s plenty of holiday cheer and I like seeing big families come together for the holidays. I will say there were a few cute moments between the main couple and it is dual POV which is always a nice bonus in a romance.

The third act aspects also didn’t quite make sense. I felt like there was an imbalance of “heavy” topics and the “light Christmas rom-com” vibes that I thought this book was going for.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Holiday Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: recounting loss of a mother, mentions of cheating (in the past)

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Book Review: Locked in Pursuit (Electra McDonnell #4) by Ashley Weaver

December 10, 2024September 22, 2024 GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Mystery + Romance
Length: 272 pages
Author: Ashley Weaver
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: May 14th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The fourth instalment in the delightful series following safecracker Electra McDonnell fighting Nazis at every turn as World War II looms over London.

Safecracker Ellie McDonnell hasn’t seen Major Ramsey―her handsome but aloof handler in the British government―since their tumultuous mission together three months before, but when she hears about a suspicious robbery in London she feels compelled to contact him. Together they discover that a rash of burglaries in the city all lead back to a hotbed of spies in the neutral city Lisbon, Portugal, and an unknown object brought to London by a mysterious courier.

As the thieves become more desperate and their crimes escalate, it becomes imperative that Ellie and Ramsey must beat them at their own game. Fighting shadowy assailants, enemy agents, and the mutual attraction they’ve agreed not to acknowledge, Ellie and Ramsey work together to learn if it truly takes a thief to catch a thief.

I AM OBSESSED.

Gooooood heavens I am upset that I am caught up on this series because I NEED THE LAST BOOK. I loved this installment!! It was another amazing addition. I am loving Ellie and Ramsey’s journey. I love all of the mystery. I love the family members and friendships. There is not one bad thing I have to say about this book. I JUST WANT TO BEG EVERYONE TO GO READ IT.

I won’t say much else since this is the fourth book in a series. The progressive character arcs and overall plot line has been fantastic though. Each book has my full attention and I love how quick of a read they are. It’s a series I didn’t know I needed and now can’t stop thinking about.

Overall audience notes: