Tag: Book Review

Book Review: The Realm of Oblivion by Marae Good

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 339 pages
Author: Marae Good
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: December 6th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

They say what you don’t know can’t hurt you.

They’re wrong.

For as long as she can remember, Collins Avery has been imprisoned in the same house by the same cruel and unforgiving parents – visited only by a strange woman with even stranger questions.

Problem is, Collins can only remember the last two years of her life.

Desperate to discover who she was before the accident that stole her memory, Collins escapes to meet a friend in secret. Instead, she finds herself abducted by a charming stranger, who claims that she has been trafficked from the Planet Aita…and sold to the highest bidder.

As Collins begins to piece together the events of her prior life, everything points to a huge and terrifying betrayal. Now, desperate for freedom, she must decide who she can trust to deliver her to her rightful home – a home that has never been on Earth to begin with.

But a new identity comes with new dangers – especially when your enemies know you better than you know yourself…

Swirling with magic and steeped in mystery, The Realm of Oblivion is the first book in The Realm Wanderer series by Marae Good.

LACKING.

I truly did want to love this, and it started out pretty interesting, then things kind of fell flat for me.

With memories being wiped, I initially thought that was a really cool idea. Discovering what’s what and who Collins truly is. All good things. But it also felt like I was continually watching flashback moments and being told a lot of things rather than showing since multiple people were trying to remember what had happened to them.

I liked the commentary of dark vs. light and finding that light within yourself. It had an air of working through depression and the shadow periods of our lives. Plenty of good sentiments there that I easily connected to and understood.

Romance missed me too. While at the start I was meh about how things started, then they flipped (which I admittedly do love), I guess I once again had that show/tell problem. I can’t go into much detail because it would probably venture to spoiler territory.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping, torture, memory loss, physical altercations, loss of loved ones, loss of parents

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ARC Book Review: The Getaway List by Emma Lord

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Emma Lord
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: January 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The day of her high school graduation, Riley realizes two things: One, that she has spent the last four years trying so hard to be a Good Kid for her mom that she has no idea who she really is anymore, and two, she has no idea what she wants because of it. The solution? Pack her bags and move to New York for the summer, where her childhood best friend Tom and co-creator of The Getaway List ― a list of all the adventures they’ve wanted to do together since he moved away ― will hopefully help her get in touch with her old adventurous self, and pave the road to a new future.

Riley isn’t sure what to expect from Tom, who has been distant since his famous mom’s scriptwriting career pulled him away. But when Riley arrives in the city, their reconnection is as effortless as it was when they were young―except with one, unexpected complication that will pull Riley’s feelings in a direction she didn’t know they could take. As she, Tom, and their newfound friends work their way through the delightfully chaotic items on The Getaway List, Riley learns that sometimes the biggest adventure is not one you take, but one you feel in your heart.

Inescapably romantic and brimming with Emma Lord’s signature cheer, The Getaway List is an uplifting and romantic read that will settle into your heart and never leave.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC.

WELCOME TO NEW YORK.

Every time I read an Emma Lord book I think about how much I would have loved reading these when I was the characters age (18/19). There’s so many good themes about growing up, finding your path and making those life long connections that will hold you up when things get rough.

I was very much smitten with the friends to lovers romance. It was reallllly sweet and the clear chemistry between them is there from the GET GO. While this is not full romance (more sub plotish), there’s a lot to learn from Riley and Tom. I loved the dynamic between them and also how you could see both growing up, making mistakes and learning to communicate.

And I adored the friend group. This found family of new and old friends that just accepted everyone as they were, but yet found ways to push each other into new things when the time was right. I love these kind of powerful friendships and there’s even cute side romances between them too.

Filled with all the New York things, some good Taylor Swift references and those hard but necessary conversations with your parents, I highly recommend to pick this one up.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong (I will say this was the only issue I had for the YA audience)
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 347 pages
Author: Sariah Wilson
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: February 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

True love requires a little research and development in a funny, heart-racing romance by Sariah Wilson, the bestselling author of The Paid Bridesmaid.

How can Anna Ellis, a geeky, brilliant, and hopelessly smitten cosmetic chemist possibly win over Craig Kimball, the man of her dreams—who also happens to be her boss? The answer is Craig’s empathetic (and handsome) CEO half brother, Marco. The makeup mogul knows Craig for the ridiculously competitive rival he is. Whatever Marco has, Craig wants. That can be Anna, if she’s game to play.

All Anna and Marco have to do is pretend they’re falling in love and let the rumors begin. If the experiment in attraction works, a jealous Craig will swoop in and give Anna her happily ever after—if it weren’t for one hitch in the plan. There’s more to Marco than meets the eye. With every fake date, Anna’s feelings are starting to become dizzyingly real.

Blame it on chemistry. It’s unpredictable, exciting, and occasionally combustible. If Anna and Marco are really falling in love, who are they to argue with science?

SO CLOSE.

Okay. I legitimately loved a lot of this book. I read it in a day. Kept going back to it kind of enjoyed. I thought the premise was fun and unique. I liked the cosmetics and chemistry combination and it made for a lot of great dialogue and witty puns. The love interest, Marco? FIRE. He was a super swoony gem. Just the sweetest and I loved all of the fake dating aspects that arose too. And the kisses were perfectly fiery which sells me on a fantastic book too.

BUT BUT BUT

There’s only so much obliviousness I can take from a FMC. Her best friend having to tell her multiple times that Marco was in love with her, refusing to believe that Craig could be anything but a perfect angel and not ever learning how to accept a compliment bugged me. It was 90% through the book and all of this was still happening in one capacity or another.

If Anna had been even a little more self aware I would have bumped this higher.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents (car wreck & complications from anorexia)

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ARC Book Review: The Lily of Ludgate Hill (Belles of London #3) by Mimi Matthews

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Mimi Matthews
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: January 16th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Fortune favors the bold—but is a confirmed spinster daring enough to loosen the reins and accept a favor from the wicked gentleman who haunts her dreams?

Lady Anne Deveril doesn’t spook easily. A woman of lofty social standing known for her glacial beauty and starchy opinions, she’s the unofficial leader of her small group of equestriennes. Since her mother’s devastating plunge into mourning six years ago, Anne voluntarily renounced any fanciful notions of love and marriage. And yet, when fate puts Anne back into the entirely too enticing path of Mr. Felix Hartford, she’s tempted to run…right into his arms.

No one understands why Lady Anne withdrew into the shadows of society, Hart least of all. The youthful torch he once held for her has long since cooled. Or so he keeps telling himself. But now Anne needs a favor to help a friend. Hart will play along with her little ruse—on the condition that Anne attend a holiday house party at his grandfather’s country estate. No more mourning clothes. No more barriers. Only the two of them, unrequited feelings at last laid bare.

Finally free to gallop out on her own, Anne makes the tantalizing discovery that beneath the roguish exterior of her not-so-white knight is a man with hidden depths, scorching passions—and a tender heart.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy and PRHAudio for the gifted audiobook.

CHARMING SECOND CHANCE.

Audiobook notes: I love two narrators for a two POV romance. I thought both were amazing and I was swept away to historical England.

This was another good read for the series! It does lean a little away from romance and focuses a lot on grief and self growth and finally severing the ties that are holding you back. I absolutely adored Felix. He was carrying so much on his shoulders and worked hard to make things work the best he could.

Anne, I struggled with a little. I thought her Mom issues held her down for SO long and I was waiting for that freedom moment where Anne had the spotlight. Because when she showed up in that dress? I SWOONED. Felix has been pining for years and that man deserved a break. I actually loved that this didn’t have big flashback chapters and that we got to see more at present what was happening.

I loved seeing the other Belles and just being back in this world. Mimi Matthew’s books are always wonderful reads for me and this was no different.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none-low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: toxic parent, mentions of child labor