ARC Book Review: Saint (The World of the Narrows #0) by Adrienne Young

November 23, 2022November 17, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 336 pages
Author: Adrienne Young
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: November 29th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns to the world of The Narrows with Saint, a captivating prequel to Fable and Namesake.

As a boy, Elias learned the hard way what happens when you don’t heed the old tales.

Nine years after his lack of superstition got his father killed, he’s grown into a young man of piety, with a deep reverence for the hallowed sea and her fickle favor. As stories of the fisherman’s son who has managed to escape the most deadly of storms spreads from port to port, his devotion to the myths and creeds has given him the reputation of the luckiest bastard to sail the Narrows.

Now, he’s mere days away from getting everything his father ever dreamed for him: a ship of his own, a crew, and a license that names him as one of the first Narrows-born traders. But when a young dredger from the Unnamed Sea with more than one secret crosses his path, Elias’ faith will be tested like never before. The greater the pull he feels toward her, the farther he drifts from the things he’s spent the last three years working for.

He is dangerously close to repeating his mistakes and he’s seen first hand how vicious the jealous sea can be. If he’s going to survive her retribution, he will have to decide which he wants more, the love of the girl who could change their shifting world, or the sacred beliefs that earned him the name that he’s known for―Saint.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for an ALC.

SOLID PREQUEL.

I know a lot of us are hit/miss on prequel books after the fact the original books are already out. This would be a case of me saying, if you enjoyed Fable / Namesake I think you’ll enjoy Saint too.

I loved getting much of Saint’s background. The heated intensity that is Saint is something else and seeing it with a romantic edge was *chef’s kiss*. It’s a super fast, read in a day, kind of story that gives you a great peek at the fated meeting of Saint and Isolde. It was great getting both points of view because I really wanted some background on Isolde as well. The attraction between them was undeniable and that instantaneous connection worked perfectly here.

The timeline didn’t end where I thought it would (forever wishing Adrienne Young books were a bit longer), but I guess it ended well enough? We all know what happens so I do understand [after the fact] why it closed here, buuut would have loved a bit more in a few different areas.

Audiobook wise: PERFECT. No complaints. Both narrators did an amazing job of reading at the same pace so I was able to keep the speed at the same for the rotating chapters. I felt like it only enhanced my reading experience and would recommend this avenue easy.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy
Language: very little
Romance: kisses
Violence: medium
Trigger/Content Warnings: physical altercations, loss of loved ones, loss of life

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Book Review: On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi

November 22, 2022June 27, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Shirlene Obuobi
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: June 21st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

For fans of Grey’s Anatomy and Seven Days in June, this dazzling debut novel by Shirlene Obuobi explores that time in your life when you must decide what you want, how to get it, & who you are, all while navigating love, friendship, and the realization that the path you’re traveling is going to be a bumpy ride.

Ghanaian-American Angela Appiah has checked off all the boxes for the “Perfect Immigrant Daughter.”

– Enroll in an elite medical school
– Snag a suitable lawyer/doctor/engineer boyfriend
– Surround self with a gaggle of successful and/or loyal friends

But then it quickly all falls apart: her boyfriend dumps her, she bombs the most important exam of her medical career, and her best friend pulls away. And her parents, whose approval seems to hinge on how closely she follows the path they chose, are a lot less proud of their daughter. It’s a quarter life crisis of epic proportions.

Angie, who has always faced her problems by working “twice as hard to get half as far,” is at a loss. Suddenly, she begins to question everything: her career choice, her friendships, even why she’s attracted to men who don’t love her as much as she loves them.

And just when things couldn’t get more complicated, enter Ricky Gutierrez— brilliant, thoughtful, sexy, and most importantly, seems to see Angie for who she is instead of what she can represent.

Unfortunately, he’s also got “wasteman” practically tattooed across his forehead, and Angie’s done chasing mirages of men. Or so she thinks. For someone who’s always been in control, Angie realizes that there’s one thing she can’t plan on: matters of her heart.

IN THE MIDDLE.

I have mixed thoughts on this one.

Firstly, I loved the medical school setting. I think it was unique and I learned a lot more (as someone who almost went to med school) than I previously knew. I love when a read is more impactful than expected and there were many, many conversations in here about important themes and topics that I appreciated being highlighted. There’s always space to grow and listen, and this book provided a moment like that.

Romance wise, I wasn’t sold. It started off iffy and then by the time I truly thought it was sweet, things soured quickly. I didn’t like the way the conflict was handled, I never fell for Ricky and I really wanted the best for Angie. Just not convinced this was it.

This does read more as fiction over romance (which I know some prefer). For me, I was hoping for a bit more romance interspersed. The audiobook narrator was wonderful, but I hesitantly say to go with the audiobook option. I learned via other reviews that there’s footnotes about a lot of the medical related things in here and it came off in the audio as more of an over explanation. Knowing about the footnotes helped me change my frame of mind while listening. Adding that in here so others know too!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: strong
Romance: brief fade to black
Trigger/Content Warnings: racism, misogyny, sexism, drug abuse, death, medical scenes, anxiety, mentions of gun violence

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Book Review: Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

November 21, 2022December 30, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 364 pages
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: July 28th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The Hating Game meets Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by way of Morgan Matson in this unforgettable romantic comedy about two rival overachievers whose relationship completely transforms over the course of twenty-four hours.

Today, she hates him.

It’s the last day of senior year. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. While Rowan, who secretly wants to write romance novels, is anxious about the future, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis one last time.

Tonight, she puts up with him.

When Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle, a farewell tour of the city she loves. But after learning a group of seniors is out to get them, she and Neil reluctantly decide to team up until they’re the last players left—and then they’ll destroy each other.

As Rowan spends more time with Neil, she realizes he’s much more than the awkward linguistics nerd she’s sparred with for the past four years. And, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams.

Tomorrow … maybe she’s already fallen for him.

BETTER THAN EXPECTED.

I honestly didn’t know what to think about a book that takes place in roughly 36-48 hours. That’s short, ya know? But I looooved the way this was developed and how it all unfolded.

I adored Rowan and Neil. They are a classic high school rivals to lovers and the forced proximity of the last day of school helped them realize all of those connections. I think some of the drama was a bit dragged out and I could have done with a little less of that in the end.

There’s a lot of great discussions throughout on multiple important topics. And mixed in with a really neat scavenger hunt idea this was a hard book to put down. I enjoyed the audio version and had no issues with the narrator. This is fast paced, coming of age, taking those steps into adulthood kind of YA read. Add a dash of a sweet romance and it’s a good book.

Overall audience notes:

YA Contemporary Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: brief open door
Trigger/Content Warnings: anti-semitism, misogyny, domestic abuse mentioned, car accident mentioned, bullying

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Book Review: Kit McBride Gets a Wife (The McBrides of Montana #1) by Amy Barry

November 20, 2022September 30, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Genre: Western Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Amy Barry
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: August 23rd, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The four McBride brothers have their worlds turned upside down when their precocious younger sister secretly places an advertisement for a mail-order bride.

Kit McBride knows that Buck’s Creek, Montana, is no place to find a wife. Between him and his three brothers–plus little Junebug–they manage all right on their own, thank you very much. But unbeknownst to Kit, his sister is sick to death of cleaning, cooking, and mending for her big brothers, so she places an ad in The Matrimonial News to get them hitched.

After Maddy Mooney emigrated from Ireland, she found employment with an eccentric but poor widow. When her mistress decides to answer an ad for a mail-order bride, Maddy is dragged along for the ride to Montana. But en route to the West, Maddy is suddenly abandoned and left to assume the widow’s name, position, and matrimonial prospects….

With no other recourse in the wilderness, Maddy must convince Kit not only is she who she says she is, but she’s the wife he never knew he needed.

Thank you to PRHAudio for the gifted audiobook!

HOW DANG SWEET.

I’m pretty sure I had no less than five people mention how good this book was and I caved. AND I’M SO HAPPY I DID.

This was DELIGHTFUL. Exactly what I needed after some terrible ARCs I had to get through. Full of heart and love and a family just trying to make it through the winter in the West. I loved that is was multiple POV with the love interests and family members. It added such charm and whit to every scene.

I ADORED June Bug. The amount of times she made me laugh and smile could be counted on more than one hand. She was absolutely tenacious and I loved her snark and commitment to her story.

The romance aspects had me melting. I loooove a smitten man from the get-go and Kit was that man for me. I love how he and Maddy came together and it had everything I could hope for between them.

I can’t wait for the next book because I know it’ll be just as charming.

Overall audience notes: