Tag: Book Review

Book Review: Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fiction / Magical Realism
Length: 416 pages
Author: Emily Habeck
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: August 8th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Newlyweds face the unimaginable in this epic tale about marriage, motherhood, and enduring love.

For Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last. A few weeks after their wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis. He will retain most of his consciousness, memories, and intellect, but his physical body will gradually turn into a great white shark. As Lewis develops the features and impulses of one of the most predatory creatures in the ocean, his complicated artist’s heart struggles to make peace with his unfulfilled dreams.

At first, Wren internally resists her husband’s fate. Is there a way for them to be together after Lewis changes? Then, a glimpse of Lewis’s developing carnivorous nature activates long-repressed memories for Wren, whose story vacillates between her childhood living on a houseboat in Oklahoma, her time with a college ex-girlfriend, and her unusual friendship with a woman pregnant with twin birds. Woven throughout this bold novel is the story of Wren’s mother, Angela, who becomes pregnant with Wren at fifteen in an abusive relationship amidst her parents’ crumbling marriage. In the present, all of Wren’s grief eventually collides, and she is forced to make an impossible choice.

A sweeping love story that is at once lyrical and funny, airy and visceral, Shark Heart is an unforgettable, gorgeous novel about life’s perennial questions, the fragility of memories, finding joy amidst grief, and creating a meaningful life. This daring debut marks the arrival of a wildly talented new writer abounding with originality, humor, and heart.

WHAT IN THE WORLD.

I feel like this has to be one of the oddest books I’ve ever picked up.

And yet I was kind of into it?

A very interesting concept and one I have truly never considered. I did like the exploration of magical realism and mutations and changes. I was intrigued by how it was handled medically and the coping mechanisms that were involved.

I really enjoyed part one and Wren and Lewis’s story the most. I felt swept away by their love for each other and loving through the hard moments too.

What kind of lost me was the second part where the focus changed and I didn’t feel as invested. The book is on the short side (7 hour audio) and there was a lot crammed into this that I wish would have been explored further. I wanted to feel more of the love story aspects that the title referred to.

The ending wrapped things up well enough. Maybe I just struggle with magical realism sometimes and have way too many questions about how everything works and why (hi, I’m the problem, it’s me). I truly did enjoy this read though. There were good themes and plenty of discussions to be had because of the story.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fiction
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, suicide ideation

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ARC Book Review: Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret (Brothers of Sapphire Ranch #7) by Misty M. Beller

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Rating: ★★★★
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Length: 210 pages
Author: Misty M. Beller
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: January 28th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Miles is the youngest of six brothers, and he’s spent most of his life helping guard the family’s a sapphire mine hidden deep within the Montana mountains. With threats from a past enemy looming, a survey team’s arrival stirs suspicion—until he meets Clara Pendleton, whose presence captivates him.

Clara Pendleton joins her uncle on a survey team tasked with mapping the coming railroad’s path, only to find herself entangled with the enigmatic Coulter family. When her uncle’s accident leads them to find refuge in the Coulter home, Clara is irresistibly drawn to Miles Coulter and his quiet strength. This feels like the haven she craves…until a series of mysterious attacks endanger everyone on the ranch.

As Christmas approaches, a sleigh ride through a snowy wonderland fans the growing spark between Clara and Miles into a flame, but a broken runner leads Clara to discover the family’s secret. Now she’s faced with an impossible betray the man she’s coming to love or risk the lives of his entire family—and her own uncle.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain saga filled with high-stakes adventure, forced proximity, a Christmas surprise, and love that heals wounded hearts.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

ENJOYABLE HISTORICAL.

This was my first book by this author and I would read another one! It’s a sweet Christian historical romance with a bit of suspense that keeps you flipping the pages. I loved that it was dual POV and I liked both Clara and Miles a lot. There was an agreeable nature to both of them and the instant attraction worked well overall.

Now this book is only about 200 pages and that’s where I wish it could have been different. The short length didn’t lend itself the necessary depth to the characters or romantic relationship. I would have loved to have seen something more and get an expansion on multiple fronts.

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series and didn’t have a problem with understanding the basic character dynamics of the family members. It’s a fast paced read and great if you need a short book for your reading goals.

Overall audience notes:

  • Christian Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content Warnings: murder (off page)

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: January 2025

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We made it through 3438753 days of January. Here’s what I read!

  • [Reread] A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [ARC] Beyond the Crescent Sky (The Balkan Legends #2) by A.L. Sowards
  • [ALC] The Favorites by Layne Fargo
  • Our Deadly Designs (This Dark Descent #2) by Kalyn Josephson
  • [ARC/ALC] Gate to Kagoshima (Ancestor Memories #1) by Poppy Kuroki
  • [ARC] Of Flames and Fallacies (The Arterian Series #1) by Courtney Whims
  • Let You Love Me (Boys of Riverside #5) by Gracie Graham
  • Morbidly Yours (Love in Galway #1) by Ivy Fairbanks
  • Familiar Stranger by Caitlin Moss
  • [ARC/ALC] The Rival by Emma Lord
  • All to Pieces (The Seddledowne #3) by Susan Henshaw
  • [ARC/ALC] The Beasts We Bury (The Broken Citadel #1) by D.L. Taylor
  • A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson
  • A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young
  • Where the Black Line Ends by Meagan Williamson
  • [ARC] A Heart Devoted (The Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir #5) by Nichole Van
  • [Reread] Iron Flame (The Empyrean #1) by Rebecca Yarros
  • [ARC/ALC] Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth #2) by Kristen Ciccarelli
  • Seeing Miss Heartstone by Nichole Van
  • Know Your Newlywed by Elena Armas
  • Metal Slinger (Fire & Metal #1) by Rachel Schneider
  • The Heart of the Rebellion by Sian Ann Bessey
  • Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer
  • A Tribute of Fire (The Eye of the Goddess #1) by Sariah Wilson
  • When Alec Met Evie (The Appies #6) by Jenny Proctor
  • Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros
  • Class Clown (The Thornback Society #4) by Aspen Hadley
  • The Legend of Meneka (The Divine Dancers Duology #1) by Kritika H. Rao
  • Better Than Revenge by Kasie West
  • [ARC] Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret (Brothers of Sapphire Ranch #7) by Misty M. Beller
  • [Short Story] The Situationship by Abby Jimenez
  • [ARC] Book Boyfriend by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
  • Unromance by Erin Connor
  • A Forbidden Fate (A Forbidden Fate #1) by Kaven Hirning
  • [Novella] Spirit of the Wood (Green Rider #7.5) by Kristen Britain
  • Smoke and Mirrors (Silver and Bone #2) by Claudia Cain
  • [Reread] The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
  • The Check Down (Lacey Bros #1) by Brandy Pelletier

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Book Review: The Legend of Meneka (The Divine Dancers Duology #1) by Kritika H. Rao

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Kritika H. Rao
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: January 21st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this sweeping crossover of romantic fantasy and Hindu mythology, acclaimed author Kritika H. Rao reimagines the famous tale of a celestial dancer tasked with seducing a human sage, but when she finds herself falling in love with her mark, she will be forced to choose between loyalty to her home and being true to herself—perfect for readers of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Kaikeyi, and Circe.

Across the mortal and immortal realms, celestial dancers known as apsaras are revered for their beauty, allure, and enchanting magic. But Meneka knows that is not all they are. Trained as a weapon—a warrior—Meneka despises leaving each of her marks in thrall to her potent illusions. With every seduction Lord Indra, king of heaven, demands of her for his political gain, she craves her freedom more and more.

When a mortal sage’s growing powers threaten Indra’s supremacy in his own realm, Meneka seizes a rare opportunity. She strikes a deal—if she can seduce this dangerous man, Indra will allow her to forgo future missions. But upon meeting the sage, Kaushika, Meneka finds herself captivated by his energy, ignited by his empathy and passion, even though he threatens everything she’s ever known. Can she overthrow the man who is—little by little—stealing her heart, or is Kaushika seducing her instead? As war looms in the skies, Meneka must choose between her duty to protect her home, and the sage who is showing her what true love can mean.

Romantic, spellbinding, and empowering, The Legend of Meneka breathes new life into Hindu mythology to weave a lustrous tale of a woman discovering the cosmic power within herself. This first book in the Divine Dancers duology is a completely unputdownable adventure for lovers of romantasy and myth retellings.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Storygram Tours for my gifted copy.

TOO LUSTY FOR ME.

I really wanted to love this one and I do think the second half got a lot better. There seemed to be more of a plot and the action was amping up enough to hold my attention more.

The romance did grow on me on some aspects. I like the general idea of having to seduce the enemy and Kaushika was a worthy foe. Seeing Meneka have some growth as she met other mortals and fell in love with Kaushika were some of the better moments here.

What wasn’t clicking was the fact the entire book and major theme revolved around lust. It’s just not something that worked for me and it kept taking me out of the story. Even amidst scenes I did like, and I enjoyed Meneka as a character, ultimately I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: multiple open door; innuendo throughout
  • Violence: mild – moderate

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