Tag: Book Review

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

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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

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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

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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:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, physical and magical altercations

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ARC Book Review: Savor It by Tarah Dewitt

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Tarah Dewitt
Publisher: St. Martin’s
Release Date: May 21st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Summer won’t last forever.

Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) her entire life. She’s learned to love her small world, with the misfit animals on her hobby farm, and her friendships with the town’s inhabitants. But when her 5-year relationship ends and her ex, town-golden-boy Ian, suddenly gets engaged, Sage needs a win―something that will convince everyone to stop pitying her all the time, and to put Ian in his place. The Festival of Spunes, the town’s annual summer competition, would be the perfect opportunity. She just needs a partner.

Fisher Lange was a hotshot chef in New York City until the loss of his sister left him numb, grieving, and responsible for his teenage niece Indy. When Fisher loses his Michelin star along with his love of cooking, his boss sends him and Indy to Spunes on a much-needed summer sabbatical to consult on a restaurant opening. But when clashes with the townspeople threaten his last chance to redeem himself and a kiss with his new neighbor Sage leads to dating rumors, a strategic alliance might just be the best way to turn things around.

A deal is struck. Sage will improve Fisher’s image in the eyes of the town and remove the roadblocks he is facing with the restaurant, and Fisher will be Sage’s partner for the competition. But as their pact quickly turns into steamy rendezvous, emotional wounds begin to heal, and the pair tries to savor every moment, they start to realize that summer is racing by much faster than they would like…

Filled with spicy summer fun, small-town charm, and Big Feelings, this highly anticipated romcom is Tarah DeWitt’s best yet.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

NEW FAVORITE.

Audio notes first: LOVED. The narrators brought this book to new heights. It felt like I was truly listening to the main characters tell me the story. I loved the way it was crafted.

Oh my gosh, how does Tarah Dewitt do this to me every time??? I’ve been reading her books from the beginning and each and every dang story has brought the humor and feels and love and ALL THE THINGS.

I was SMITTEN from the first few chapters. Where you just know it’s going to be a five star read. And it never disappointed me once. I loved the grump x sunshine balance and the banter and heat between these two was next level. I loved how both Sage and Fisher had intricate backgrounds that played into their story, and seeing the growth from finding love with each other. This really read like a grown up summer romance story in allllll the best ways. I felt transported to this small town and adored the whole set-up.

This is full of swoon and romance. It’s full of heart and finding the best step forward. Full of reigniting passions and holding onto the parts of you that you love. This swept me away as an absolute romance book BUT with so much space filled with the ups and downs and pure joys of life.

I loved it. I loved it all. And I loved the ending came together too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate-high
  • Romance: 3+ open door scenes
  • Violence: low
  • Content Warnings: depictions of grief, death of a loved one (off page)

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