Tag: Book Review

ARC Book Review: The Calculation of You and Me by Serena Kaylor

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 304 pages
Author: Serena Kaylor
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: June 18th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A calculus nerd enlists her surly classmate’s help to win back her ex-boyfriend, but when sparks start to fly, she realizes there’s no algorithm for falling in love.

Marlowe Thompson understands a lot of things. She understands that calculus isn’t overwhelmingly beautiful to everyone, and that it typically kills the mood when you try to talk Python coding over beer pong. She understands people were surprised when golden boy Josh asked her out and she went from weird, math-obsessed Marlowe to half of their school’s couple goals. Unfortunately, Marlowe was surprised when Josh dumped her because he’d prefer a girlfriend who was more romantic. One with emotional depth.

But Marlowe has never failed anything in her life, and she isn’t about to start now. When she’s paired with Ashton Hayes for an English project, his black clothing and moody eyeliner cause a bit of a systems overload, and the dissonant sounds of his rock band make her brain itch. But when she discovers Ash’s hidden stash of love songs, Marlowe makes a desperate deal to unleash her inner romantic heroine: if Ash will agree to help her write some love letters, she’ll calculate the perfect data analytics formula to make Ash’s band go viral.

As the semester heats up with yearning love notes and late nights spent with a boy who escapes any box her brain tries to put him in, Marlowe starts to question if there’s really a set solution to love. Could a girl who has never met a problem she couldn’t solve have gotten the math so massively wrong?

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC and LibroFM for the audiobook.

A BIT OF A LETDOWN.

I loved the authors previous book and it had made me all the more excited to pick this one up, and I’m not quite sure what to do about my thoughts.

My biggest issue was that for 90% of the book it was focused on the FMC getting back together with her ex. This left very little room for the new relationship to form and for a spark of true chemistry to be there. I was so tired of the constant focus on her ex.

I did like the general themes. I loved the acknowledgment of the power of romance books and how we can all love in our own ways and how important that part of our selves is. I liked the tight friendship group for Marlowe and a realistic family life too.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: A Sea of Blood and Sapphire by Florence Gray

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance Retelling
Length: 395 pages
Author: Florence Gray
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 15th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As long as mermaids live, the sea will fill with blood.

On the night of Amaris’ eighteenth birthday, she is finally free to surface from the depths of the Sapphire Sea, but when she joins her pack, she’s horrified by the barbaric hunt. She knows the cost of saving her mortal enemy’s life, but she can’t bring herself to join in on the bloodshed.

Amaris is left with no choice but to consult the sea witch in order to escape from her father’s wrath. She soon finds that there are worse things than being the predator, gambling her soul and becoming the prey.

Hans Christian Andersen’s story of The Little Mermaid with a dark and compelling twist, this new adult fantasy novel will leave every reader swept away in the tides of magic, mermaids, and romance.

LET DOWN.

I was really excited for this release when I saw it floating around and now I’m here to say that it wasn’t worth it. This is clearly a The Little Mermaid retelling but attempting to make it adult with little success. I know others might enjoy more of these aspects, so take my thoughts how you will.

For one, I wish it had eventually turned into its own story. I didn’t feel like anything really new was added to the retelling. Every direct component was there and more or less like the original. Just add in awkward innuendo and romance book tangents that didn’t fit the plot and you’re there. Along with that was the heavy use of modern language that took me out of the book. I’m in a fantasy world and too often these small things kept adding up adding to my displeasure overall. I thought some of the world building pieces were cool, and I wish those had been fleshed out more for a more complete story.

Different parts of the romance worked for me. There’s decent banter and I understood the enemies to lovers. For a standalone the pacing and slow burn nature did fit well. But I officially do not like epilogues that are there only to add another *love* scene, it’s just not necessary.

Meh. I’m bummed. Moving on.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance Retelling
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: innuendo, 2-3 almost scenes, 2 open door; low – med. explicit
  • Violence: moderate-high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, whipping, near death experiences, murder, small battle themes

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ALC Book Review: Masquerade of the Heart (Garden of the Cursed #2) by Katy Rose Pool

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Katy Rose Pool
Publisher: Holt Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 18th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs must deal with the aftermath of her fake romance with one of the most powerful nobles in the illustrious—and deadly—Evergarden society , all while uncovering the mystery behind her mother’s disappearance. T his edge-of-your-seat duology finale is perfect for fans of Veronica Mars , These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron .

Caraza sits poised on the edge of chaos. Tensions rise between the Five Families and trouble brews in the Marshes—and Marlow is at the center of it all. In the tragic aftermath of the Vale-Falcrest wedding, Adrius refuses to speak to her, publicly vowing to find a wife before the year is out. Despite her heartbreak, Marlow is still intent on breaking his curse. To do so, she’ll have to play loving daughter to the man who cast it. But the closer she gets to her father, the more she starts to question if he’s really the villain she’s made him out to be.

Marlow has learned by now that in a city steeped in secrets and lies, not everything is as it seems. As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Marlow must decide who to trust—and how high a price she’s willing to pay for the truth.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

LOVED THIS CONCLUSION.

I enjoyed book one, and I loved this sequel even more. I loved the way the romantic tension was cranked up and the forbidden aspects had me in a chokehold. The audiobook was absolutely fantastic. There wasn’t two narrators for the dual POV but I feel like Jennifer Blom did a great job of distinguishing the different characters.

The card and curse system is really cool and I loved seeing deeper dynamics of the magic system and world. I loved the found family Marlow was a part of and the loyalty and love they showed each other. Adrius’s sister kind of drove me up a wall, but she was my only small issue. The other dramatic sub plots worked well for continuing the story at least.

I liked the way things wrapped up. This was the first series I’ve completed from Katy Rose Pool and now I’m officially a fan and look forward to future projects. MOTH was filled with a combination of upper young adult devices that I love and now it’s a completed duo so go read it!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Upper YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate-high

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ARC Book Review: Of Jade and Dragons (Fall of the Dragon #1) by Amber Chen

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 480 pages
Author: Amber Chen
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 18th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father, but after his sudden murder, her life falls apart. Left with only a journal of her father’s engineering secrets and a jade pendant snatched from the assassin, a heartbroken Ying follows the trail to the capital and the prestigious Engineers Guild—a place that harbors her father’s hidden past—determined to discover why anyone would threaten a man who ultimately chose a quiet life over fame and fortune.

Disguised as her brother, Ying manages to infiltrate the guild’s male-only apprenticeship trial with the help of an unlikely ally—Aogiya Ye-yang, the taciturn eighth prince of the High Command. With her father’s renown placing a target firmly on her back, Ying must stay one step ahead of her fellow competitors, the jealous guild masters, and the killer still hunting for her father’s journal. Complicating everything is her increasingly tangled relationship with the prince, who may have mysterious plans of his own.

The secrets concealed within the guild can be as deadly as the weapons they build—and with her life and the future of her homeland at stake, Ying doesn’t know who to trust. Can she avenge her father even if it means going against everything he stood for, or will she be next in the mastermind’s line of fire?

Thank you to Penguin Teen for the free book.

THE ENDING BROUGHT IT.

I was minding my own business reading this book, enjoying it, thinking this would be a good four star and I’d be happy to pick up the next book. BUT THEN, I just absolutely loved that the last 25% took it to another level for me. This had the classic middle ground young adult vibes (and actually kept it that way with the content) that reminded me of all the things I love about young adult books.

I loved Ying. She was tenacious and full of heart. There were some Mulan nods alongside a fantasy woman in STEM and I loved the combination. The competition and guild trials were interesting and paced well. I loved that the progression of the story kept moving forward and had me glued to my book.

The slow burn romance made me FEEL by the end. And I am HERE FOR THE DRAMA of it all. I can’t wait to see how things shake out and where they go. I love that this ended on a cliffhanger that demanded my attention. I also really loved the friendship Ying had with a few of her fellow apprentices. It showcased a true boy / girl friendship (which I feel like we don’t see enough of???) and I loved how the loyalty was truly forged in fire.

Fantastic book, can’t wait for more!!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content Warnings: war themes, near death experiences, murder, weapons violence

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