Book Review: Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #1) by Mia P. Manansala

May 25, 2024April 23, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Cozy Mystery
Length: 336 pages
Author: Mia P. Manansala
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 4th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes—one that might just be killer….

When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She’s tasked with saving her Tita Rosie’s failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.

With the cops treating her like she’s the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila’s left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block…

Thank you Berkley #BerkleyPartner #Berkley for the gifted copy.

IT WAS FINE.

I thought cozy mysteries were my jam, but maybe not right now? Or after reading the Aunties series I saw many similarities and this hardly felt new. I have no big feelings towards the book, nothing I outright disliked, I just felt even toned about it all. And the plot was repetitive.

I think many would like this as there are some funny comments and also very serious themes that balance off of each other. I thought the sweet romance was cute and I liked the friendships and close family connections too. There’s lot of delicious food that definitely made me hungry while listening.

I don’t have plans to continue the series though.

Overall audience notes:

Cozy Mystery
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate
Trigger/Content Warnings: racism, domestic violence mentioned, drug abuse, police intimidation

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Book Review: The Darkest Sunrise (The Darkest Sunrise #1) by Aly Martinez

May 24, 2024April 28, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 266 pages
Author: Aly Martinez
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: July 13th, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Whoever coined that phrase is a bald-faced liar. Words are often the sharpest weapon of all, triggering some of the most powerful emotions a human can experience.
“You’re pregnant.”
“It’s a boy.”
“Your son needs a heart transplant.”
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Lies.
Syllables and letters may not be tangible, but they can still destroy your entire life faster than a bullet from a gun.
Two words—that was all it took to extinguish the sun from my sky.
“He’s gone.”
For ten years, the darkness consumed me.
In the end, it was four deep, gravelly words that gave me hope of another sunrise.
“Hi. I’m Porter Reese.”

THE DRAMA.

Totally picked this up based off of ONE review I saw from a friend. And then I binged both books back to back. Was it GREAT? No. But it stopped my reading slump from the pure drama of having to know what was going to happen next.

There’s a lot to unpack in this heavy, short story. It kind of had a CoHo vibe with the intensity of it all. I did like the romance at its core. There were many great sweet moments between them as both struggled with some past traumas.

I felt a vast array of emotions throughout as things went up and down and seriously, all around. I don’t want to leave a long review because I don’t want to allude to any of the things that go down. It was enthralling and kept my attention and was exactly what I was looking for at the time.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: strong
Romance: multiple open door
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapped baby, attempted murder-suicide (side character), a child with a heart condition, grief and depression, physical altercations

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ARC Book Review: Into the Fire (Into the Churn #2) by Hayley Reese Chow

May 23, 2024April 26, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Sci-Fi
Length: 380 pages
Author: Hayley Reese Chow
Publisher: Whimsical Publishing
Release Date: May 21st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The finish line was only the beginning.

Champion race royalers Ezren Hart and Foster Sterling never dreamed winning the Belethea Race Royale and solving their teammate’s murder would only be the start of their troubles. With legal proceedings taking an unfortunate turn, accusations of a sham race, and a divided Belethea of warring ideals, they find themselves in the middle of a storm once again.

However, when a mysterious private investigator shows up at their doorstep with news that Ezren’s long-missing father’s life hangs in the balance, she doesn’t hesitate to chart their course to the incendiary moon of Otho despite Foster’s misgivings. But after political violence separates the pair before they even get off the ground, Foster scrapes together a crew to go after her.

While Ezren and Foster race toward Otho, the growing ripples of corruption bring the system to the brink of war with the two of them balanced on the tipping point. As they run, drive, and fight across an explosive land scarred with bullets and death, they’ll have to decide what sacrifices they’re willing to make for a dangerous discovery in a world prepared to silence their voices forever.

Because on Otho, there are no winners—only survivors.

Thank you to Whimsical Publishing for the eARC.

LOVE.

I am just smitten with this duo y’all. I adore Ezren and Foster and I can’t tell y’all how much I LOVED that they WORKED TOGETHER. Bless the fact that there wasn’t ridiculous drama between the main couple. There was still tension and romance, it was just formulated differently and I was able to fall in love with them more because of it. The outside forces caused the chaos and had me gripping my kindle needing to know who made it out alive.

I liked the continuation of the story too. There’s a bit more politicking and interweaving of keeping friends close and enemies closer. I liked the switching sides and the newly added characters too. I love the found family and tight knit friendships. I love the high level of action and seeing the expansion of the world and systems. I felt lots of emotions and loved seeing the familial reconnections woven throughout too.

This was a full story (not a standalone though, definitely read book one first, which I also loved), but there was some room to continue as well. I would definitely read the next book.

Overall audience notes:

YA Sci-Fi
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate
Content Warnings: gun violence, near death experiences, volcanic eruption

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Book Review: Silver in the Bone (Silver in the Bone #1) by Alexandra Bracken

May 22, 2024April 28, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 480 pages
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publisher: Knopf Books
Release Date: April 4th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A series opener inspired by Arthurian legend and fueled by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!

Tamsin Lark didn’t ask to be a Hollower. As a mortal with no magical talent, she was never meant to break into ancient crypts, or compete with sorceresses and Cunningfolk for the treasures inside. But after her thieving foster father disappeared without so much as a goodbye, it was the only way to keep herself—and her brother, Cabell—alive.

Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian vanished with a powerful ring from Arthurian legend. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsin’s hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the ring.

As word spreads, greedy Hollowers start circling, and many would kill to have it for themselves. While Emrys is the last person Tamsin would choose to partner with, she needs all the help she can get to edge out her competitors in the race for the ring. Together, they dive headfirst into a vipers’ nest of dark magic, exposing a deadly secret with the power to awaken ghosts of the past and shatter her last hope of saving her brother.

THE ENDING SAVED IT.

I didn’t know how I would end up liking this one because Arthurian legend + urban fantasy is not usually my combination. What is about King Arthur legend books that totally goes over my head??? But I digress. Things did get better and I will read the sequel.

The romance in here is subtle but very sweet. I liked the development of it and the contrast of that versus the rest of the book. I have SO MANY questions about that ending and it was the perfect dose of a cliffhanger.

Plot wise I was lost for a the beginning, figured out what was happening for awhile, completely lost in the middle and then found my way back one more time. The middle is slowed down quite a bit and I’m grateful I had the audiobook to keep the pace up or I think this review would have gone more south.

I liked Tamsin and her brother, Cabell. They have some interesting character arcs I want to further explore and the decisions and actions all felt true to the nature of everything happening.

Overall audience notes: