ALC Book Review: The Christmas You Found Me (Heart of the Wilderness #1) by Sarah Morgenthaler

September 24, 2024September 16, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Holiday Romance
Length: 304 pages
Author: Sarah Morgenthaler
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: September 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sarah Morgenthaler is back with a heart-mending contemporary romance featuring a single dad you’ll fall for; a satisfying slow burn love affair; found family you’ll root for; small town holiday magic; and all the quirky animals and snowy rustic scenes your heart desires.

Sienna Naples’s family has taken care of their wild Idaho land for generations and Sienna can’t imagine any other life. But at Christmastime, with her parents gone and her painful marriage finally over, it’s full of memories…and incredibly lonely. Until a tall, handsome stranger and a little girl walk into her life and suddenly the holidays are alive again.

When single father Guy Maple shows up as the result of an ad meant to be a joke, the handsome Montana construction worker isn’t joking. Money is tight this Christmas, and Guy’s four-year-old daughter Emma has stage-five chronic kidney disease. She needs a kidney transplant, but if Guy can’t prove that he can afford Emma’s anti-rejection medications, his daughter isn’t going to stay on the transplant list. Guy’s willing to do anything, including marrying a stranger, to keep her safe. It’s an impulsive marriage of convenience, and Sienna knows this isn’t real, no matter how much she adores Emma, how well Guy fits in to the ranching life—or how much light and laughter is coming into their lives as a result. But the more time she spends with her new family, the more she fears losing the fragile, feisty little girl and the kind, devoted, hard-working, incredibly attractive man who is her husband—but is it only in name?

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

THE FEELS.

I easily hand off five stars to any book that makes me cry because it’s really hard to do so and this book earned those tears. I was a puddle finishing it and all of the emotions that came together (don’t worry, it’s a HEA!).

I loved these flawed characters leaning on each other through hard seasons of life. I was obsessed with Guy and his endearing qualities. A man who got up and did the hard things every single day. Who loved with such fierce loyalty. I loved everything about him and how well he balanced with Sienna. And I loved Sienna’s tenacity too. Her impulsivity to help someone in need became the best decision she ever made. The journey captured my attention and I couldn’t help but pick this book up because it continually draws you in.

The audiobook narration is AMAZING. I loved it. I loved how the narrator worked with Guy’s voice and how Emma’s voice wasn’t too childlike. I loved this soft romance set on a beautiful mountain filled back drop. It is filled with all the things I love and I am so thankful that Sarah Morgenthaler wrote another book. She is one of my favorites and this is a perfect holiday gem.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Holiday Romance
Language: low
Romance: fade to black
Violence: low
Content Warnings: a child with kidney failure (theme throughout), divorce, mentions of PPD (side character), emesis

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ARC Book Review: The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig

September 24, 2024August 15, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Horror
Length: 512 pages
Author: Erin A. Craig
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: September 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

This is the story of Hazel, a young healer navigating a ruthless court to save the life of the king, grappling with a pantheon of gods with questionable agendas as she fights for agency and true love in her own life as the goddaughter of none other than Death himself.

All gifts come with a price.

Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive.

When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.

But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?

From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love?

Thank you GetUnderlined for the gifted ARC.

CHARACTER DRIVEN.

If you love character driven books (like I do), then this is a must read. It is heavy on the development of Hazel and I loved her journey. This was extremely atmospheric and had the right gothic vibes that I was swept into this world with ease.

I loved all of the pieces put together with complicated families, meddling gods who don’t have it all together, bargains and mistakes and betrayals of those closest to you. It’s a slower read that takes its time and you see the path that is woven from Hazel truly just trying her best.

It was a little too slow for me in the beginning because we got a lot of Hazel growing up from 6 to 13 to 18, but after that I found myself pretty much glued to my book because I was loving this read. I really liked the sub-plot romance too. There was good character development in that situation and I loved the way he stuck by Hazel as the kingdom unraveled. Merrick was someone I couldn’t get enough of either. He had such a unique story line with Hazel and I don’t remember having come across a story like this or quite as intricate as Hazel and Merrick’s relationship.

Gorgeous writing as always. Craig is one of my favorite fantasy/horror writers in the young adult category. A must read for the fall!

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Horror
Language: low, scattered throughout
Romance: heated makeouts
Violence: high
Content Warnings: blood/gore depiction, multiple scenes with medical concerns depicted, parental abandonment, loss of life, murder

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Book Review: Omen of Ice (Omen of Ice #1) by Jus Accardo

September 23, 2024August 13, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Jus Accardo
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Keltania Tunne has spent her whole life training to become a bodyguard for a Winter Fae. It’s the highest of honors for a druid…only when Tania arrives at the Winter Court for the first time, nothing is what she expected.

Her assignment is the heir to the throne, Valen, and he doesn’t want her protection. In fact, he wants her gone. Yesterday. But Tania will not compromise, even if he is the most arrogant jackass she’s ever met―because something isn’t right in the Winter Court.

Everyone has secrets. From the Winter Lord to the kitchen maids to the rising faction that wants the prince dead―no one is who they seem. And now it’s up to Tania to keep her sacred oath and protect Valen, even when his smart mouth makes her skate the razor-thin edge between love and hate.

But the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes his secret is the biggest of all―and might just get them both killed.

I’M INTRIGUED.

The synopsis had me oh so intrigued. And I admit, I did enjoy it. Took awhile to grow on me though.

Our MMC, Valen is very Cardan Greenbriar coded (which could be a good or bad thing for you). The snarky fae who likes to drink a bit too much and has a major chip on his shoulder with the things he has to handle. Enter in, Keltania who’s only job is protect Valen. A very good forced proximity with a bit of enemies to lovers situation. The romance grew on me and I feel invested enough in them to continue this series.

The plot for the most part centers around traveling and seeing other mythical creatures (kelpies, trolls, etc.). Kinda dragged here and there and the villain reveals aren’t anything surprising. There’s some give and take here but I’m not mad I read it. I hope to see some story deviations that feel new in the second book.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: make-outs; light innuendo
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: near death experiences, physical and magical altercations, loss of loved ones

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Book Review: One Happy Summer (Falling for Summer) by Becky Monson

September 22, 2024July 28, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 345 pages
Author: Becky Monson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: July 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Running away from my disastrous career to an island off the Florida coast wasn’t part of my summer plans, but life hasn’t been cooperative lately, anyway. At least here, I can hide away and figure out how to untangle the mess I’ve gotten myself into.

One thing is certain: my A-list status and title of America’s Sweetheart are long gone, and they’re probably never coming back. I’ll just remain on this island until the worst of it blows over. Until the gossip magazines move on to another juicy topic. Until the paparazzi lose interest.

The problem is, I’m feeling pretty bored and lonely. Sneaking into town and grabbing a book to keep me occupied turns out not to be my best move. Because what I absolutely don’t need is Briggs Dalton, the man who runs the shop. He’s handsome and funny, and I can’t stop thinking about him.

Briggs believes that despite the chaos that is my life, I can still have a fun summer, and he’s determined to prove it to me.

Maybe, just maybe, this summer could turn out to be a happy one after all.

NOT QUITE CLICKING.

I wish I could put a finger on what exactly wasn’t working for me here but I will do my best to explain. There was something about the writing style that wasn’t working. The inner dialogue was kind of repetitive and the celebrity aspects of this weren’t my favorite. I am hard to please on that trope and this was clear for most of the book to be troublesome.

Also, the amount of references to Notting Hill (which I haven’t seen…) were wayyy to many. It felt odd to mention how similar their relationship was to the movie? And I feel like too many of the plot aspects were not tied up, I’m still thinking about a few holes to the story that needed filled.

There were some cute scenes. And I liked Briggs and Presley well enough. I still love the summertime vibes brought out in this series and it was a sweet read.

Overall audience notes: