Tag: Book blog

Book Review: A Court This Cruel & Lovely (Kingdom of Lies #1) by Stacia Stark

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 532 pages
Author: Stacia Stark
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: March 24th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

For years, when I fell asleep, I dreamed of a man with blazing green eyes and a cruel smile.

The day I meet him, the ruthless mercenary leaves me for dead.

Just hours after humans are born, the gods take what little power we have. In return, they protect our borders from the vicious, merciless fae.

The humans who manage to keep their power are known as the corrupt.
And they are burned.

When my forbidden power is discovered, I’m forced to flee my tiny village and the life I adore.

To survive, I make a desperate bargain with the mercenary who abandoned me at my weakest.

Our deal is simple: I’ll help him and his mysterious friends sneak into the city. And he’ll help me learn to wield the strange, dark power I’ve always kept hidden. The power that may just be the key to my survival.

But the ruthless mercenary is hiding secrets of his own. Secrets that threaten the safety of everyone I love. Secrets that could tear this kingdom—and perhaps even this world—apart.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the audiobook.

THE BONES WERE GOOD.

I wanted to love this more than I did but a few things kept holding me back. What it does have is a really good general fantasy romance set-up. I love hidden identities, some enemies to lovers and warring lands. I just wish the execution was a bit less…repetitive. The same ideas kept continually rotating through the story, they kind of kept doing the same things over and over and even the romance lost some steam too.

I didn’t mind Lorian and Prisca as main characters. They were perfectly fine. I liked the banter that they had and wanted to see them together more often to really feel that chemistry igniting. I did love that it was dual POV and that I saw both sides of the story.

There’s some good plot lines but I am on the fence about continuing the series. Might do the audiobook route again.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 2-3 open door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life/loved ones, attempted murder, executions

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Book Review: Faking the Fall (Sweater Weather #4) by Julie Christianson

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 318 pages
Author: Julie Christianson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: September 21st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

What’s a movie star to do when giving up the spotlight could hurt the ones he loves most?
My agent has this idea—an insanely bad idea—to reboot my Hollywood heartthrob status by having my long-lost love dump me … while I’m proposing to her on national TV.
The theory? Women everywhere will swoon over poor Lincoln James, scrambling to repair his vulnerable, shattered heart.
Trouble is, I don’t have any kind of love—long, lost, or otherwise.
To play my fake girlfriend, my agent enlists Hadley Morgan, my secret college crush. The one who dragged me to an audition that launched my career but left her in the dust.
Upping the ante, she offers Hadley a slot on the show she missed out on years ago. When the alternative publicity ploy is for reporters to dig up dirt on my family, I’ve got no choice but to go along with the ruse.
That’s why I’m in Harvest Hollow now—as one half of the dream couple HadLink—at least until Hadley explodes our relationship during a very public proposal.
Our breakup’s built into this deal. Too bad I’ve got real love for this woman.
But if I come clean, I risk Hadley’s big break, my family’s painful past, and my own rebooted heart.

A SWEET GEM.

I went into this with the best of hopes and I was gratefully charmed by the entire story. I absolutely loved the way LInk was written and how we learned more about his background and reasoning. I’m hit or miss on celebrity romances and I loved the way this one was crafted.

I also really liked Hadley too. These were both just two genuinely kind people trying to make the best decisions with the life they’ve been handed. I looooved the mutual pining and the increasingly tender moments they had as their connection reignited. It’s a sweet story with some good fake dating moments and let me tell y’all, the communication towards the end?? LOVED IT SO DANG MUCH. Exactly what I hoped for, made total sense, and really showed that Hadley and Link trusted and cared for each other. I am smitten.

The fall vibes are once again in this series, immaculate. These authors have all done a fantastic job of creating this world. I found this to be a super fast read and once that made my heart flutter.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: None
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones (happened prior to book)

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Book Review: Legacy (Keeper of the Lost Cities #8) by Shannon Messenger

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 797 pages
Author: Shannon Messenger
Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: November 5th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Illusions shatter—and Sophie and her friends face impossible choices—in this astonishing eighth book in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series.

Sophie Foster wants answers. But after a lifetime of lies, sometimes the truth is the most dangerous discovery. Even the smallest secret comes with terrifying new responsibilities.

And Sophie’s not the only one with blank spots in her past, or mysteries surrounding her family. She and her friends are part of something much bigger than they imagined—and their roles have already been chosen for them.

Every clue drags them deeper into the conspiracy. Every memory forces them to question everything—especially one another. And the harder they fight, the more the lines blur between friend and enemy.

ILLEGAL CLIFFHANGER ALERT.

I am still enjoying this series 8 books later and I love that for me.

KEEFE. He’s still my absolute favorite and I love him so much and I need him to have all the happiness. All the happiness. EVERYTHING HE WANTS OKAY.

The plot was steady here and I am so flippin’ grateful we finally got some answers to Sophie’s history that were much needed. I was super surprised by the who’s and what’s and I hope we get the rest of the information I neeeeeed.

I did think that this was a bit too long. A few scenes felt repetitive and I was stuck on a merry go round waiting for the next something to occur. I do love these characters and the found family aspects they give each other. How adults and teenagers are working together to benefit everyone. I’m continually curious about the antagonists dynamics and I can’t wait for those reveals to be forthcoming.

The cliffhanger left me on edge. Gotta get the next book in my hands ASAP.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: flirting
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: physical and magical altercations, small battle scenes, kidnapping, medical experimentation

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ALC Book Review: Shadows of You (Lost & Found #4) by Catherine Cowles

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Length: 348 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: PageSmith LLC
Release Date: October 19th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It was supposed to be a fresh start. A small town where I could hide my little girl from the shadows that haunt us. A place where I could keep us safe.

The last thing I expected was him.

A surly, broody mountain of a man who helps me save an injured deer in a snowstorm.

Now, Roan Hartley keeps showing up with his glowers and grimaces. But they only make his rare smiles and the gentle way he talks to my daughter mean that much more.

When forces from my past find us, Roan is determined to keep us safe—even if that means sleeping on my ancient couch every night.

As days turn to weeks, his touch has my walls crashing down. But someone out there doesn’t want me to find happiness. He doesn’t want me left breathing at all.

Thank you to the author for an ALC.

YES.

No surprises here, another Catherine Cowles book, another five stars. I LOVED this one. I’ve been waiting for Roan’s story and it did not disappoint. I loved the way the grump and sunshine played off here and that you really got to see that soft side of Roan truly come out.

And the nicknames??? Oh they were absolutely fitting and I melted every time I heard them. SO FLIPPIN’ SWEET. I love a unique nickname and Roan had some good ones. I thought the romantic pacing was great and I just felt all the things for both of them. I loved Aspen and her strong and kind nature. Both of them together was a match y’all. I am obsessed with this whole family and love that we got to see so much of them and Cady?? she was the sweetest soul around and I loved her relationship with Roan.

Once again the suspense elements totally got me. I was SURE of who it was. I just KNEW IT…and I was wrong. Got a good laugh at myself and was happily loving the chaos the twist turned up. These books are such gems and I love mixing up my usual reads because Cowles never lets me down.

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic Suspense
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3 brief open
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder, multiple animal mutilations, kidnapping, physical altercations, gun violence, bullying

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