Tag: Book Review

Book Review: Rivals (American Royals #3) by Katherine McGee

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: NA Dystopian Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Katherine McGee
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: May 31st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Beatrice is queen, and for the American royal family, everything is about to change.

Relationships will be tested.
Princess Samantha is in love with Lord Marshall Davis—but the more serious they get, the more complicated things become. Is Sam destined to repeat her string of broken relationships…and this time will the broken heart be her own?

Strangers will become friends.
Beatrice is representing America at the greatest convocation of kings and queens in the world. When she meets a glamorous foreign princess, she gets drawn into the inner circle…but at what cost?

And rivals will become allies.
Nina and Daphne have spent years competing for Prince Jefferson. Now they have something in common: they both want to take down manipulative Lady Gabriella Madison. Can these enemies join forces, or will old rivalries stand in the way?

WHY THO.

I feel like the title basically sums up where all of my thoughts turn back to when I finished this. WHY.

These books are chopped full of drama. To me, it’s actually a part of the fun of reading this. I lean into that style, filled with soap opera dramatics and allllll the feelings from the characters. You have to go in knowing the shock factor is imminent.

I think this series has gone on a bit long though. Lots of things happened in this book, but then sort of unraveled by the end? So it felt like progress was lost?

AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON DAPHNE. She’s throw a book across the room rage inducing. Book four better bring her down or I quit. I QUIT.

Anyways, I am curious where all of this goes, there’s things I like, things I don’t, yet I’m invested. It’ll be a wild last book, that’s for dang sure.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Dystopian Romance
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: bullying, extortion, blackmailing, car wreck, cheating

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ARC Book Review: A Heart Worth Stealing by Joanna Barker

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Regency Romance
Length: 288 pages
Author: Joanna Barker
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: May 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sowerby, England, 1802

Miss Genevieve Wilde—a magistrate’s daughter and independent heiress—is determined to meet life’s challenges all on her own, just as her late-father had taught her. So when her father’s pocket watch is stolen, she will do anything to get it back, especially when the local authorities prove incompetent.

Upon reading an advertisement in the paper, she takes a chance and contacts a thief-taker to find the watch. It’s a choice Ginny regrets when former Bow Street officer Jack Travers arrives on her doorstep. He is frustratingly flirtatious, irritatingly handsome, and entirely unpredictable, and Ginny wonders if she’ll be able to resist such a man.

But after Ginny discovers that the missing watch is just a small part of a larger, more frightening plot against her, she needs Jack’s help more than ever. To protect her home and her reputation, the two enter into a risky charade—pretending Jack is her cousin so he can begin his investigation, starting with the household staff. As they work together to unravel the mystery, Ginny finds herself falling fast for her charismatic thief-taker, leaving her heart in just as much danger as her life.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

MY NEW FAVORITE.

Y’all. Here me out. Romantic suspense PLUS regency romance. It’s my new favorite thing. I looooved this so much!!!

Jack was heavenly swoony. I tabbed my book many times over at his glances and endearing ways. I loved his personality and there was off the charts chemistry between him and Ginny from the get-go. Fiery banter and passionate kisses and I am in love.

I loved Ginny’s tenacity and take charge nature. It’s not overwhelming, it’s empowering. She grows through putting the past behind, solving crimes, and doing what’s best for her estate. I also appreciate a great friendship and I adored that connection as well.

There’s the perfect balance between romance and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to know what happens next. Who took the watch? Who’s causing chaos? It’s such a unique dynamic for this genre and Barker’s writing is captivating. I LOVE her writing and will continue to read anything of hers I can get my hands on.

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: physical altercations, gun violence, arson, attempted murder, loss of a parent

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Unlikely Match by Laura Bradbury

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 348 pages
Author: Laura Bradbury
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 26th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Could the man I hate be the perfect match I need?

I’m Jules Kelly, a certified bohemian boss babe, whose hip tech company just won subsidized office space in the coolest co-working space in town. From a distance I seem poised to take over the world (or at least the travel industry), and I would be if it weren’t for two big complications:

1. A rare and seriously inconvenient disease is tanking my health by the day, and my only hope for a cure—a transplant—is moving further from my grasp.

2. A soulless database company is sharing my new office space, and its coldly gorgeous, judgmental, CEO is on a path to world dominance (at least in his mind).

Tom Davenport represents the very worst of bro culture in the start-up world. Naturally, we despise each other.

The thing is, as much as Tom’s antagonism annoys me, he has an uncanny ability to conjure up my fighting spirit and vitality at a time when my illness is robbing me of both. I’m drawn to him in ways I can’t (or would really rather not) understand.

A mysterious angel investor forces our companies to compete for a life-changing amount of money just when my relationship with Tom becomes infinitely more complicated. To make matters worse, things get cutthroat just as my time starts to run out.

In order to survive, I must decide if I can truly trust my most unlikely ally of all.

Unlikely Match is a high-stakes and steamy workplace romance that will leave you feverishly turning pages.

For those of you who love wry (and sometimes a wee bit dark) humor, emotional intensity, loyal friendships, insane chemistry, and forced proximity in the context of high medical stakes, Unlikely Match is for you.

REALLY DANG GOOD.

This was a buddy read win y’all. It wasn’t really on my radar until a friend asked to read it together and wow, it delivered.

I loved that this was a very unique romance. It’s also heavy. Yet, the author does a great job balancing all of the weight with a great love interest and a sweet romance + some seriously amazing friends and other side characters. I love learning more from books and this one brought a whole new disease to light for me. Also it increased my awareness of the nature of transplants and how that side of medicine works. It was extremely enlightening because the author went through this entire process.

The romance was filled with all sorts of witty and snarky banter centered around start-up culture. Two competing CEO’s that can’t get enough of snapping back at each other. It has a nice little rivalry vibe, but with immediate intent for a friendship. Tom is an utter cinnamon roll and I loved how gung-ho he was about being with Jules. And when he overstepped he could recognize that and establish boundaries. I loved the discussion around mental health and medicine and how going through something so traumatic can play a forever role in your life.

I wish there was a dash more lean on the romance side because I just loved them that much, but it was an amazing read that I could not put down. Highly recommend as something different in the romance genre!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: two brief open door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: heavy discussion about the world of medicine in general (doctor’s visits, needles, hospitals, etc.), PTSD, grief, therapy scenes, transplant surgery and recovery

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ARC Book Review: Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Megan Clawson
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: April 27th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Love is in the heir in this royally good rom com debut releasing in Spring 2023 – perfect for anyone who likes relatable heroines (with great hair), hot and aloof book boyfriends (with great hats), near misses, almost kisses and a corgi or two.

Despite living in an actual castle, happily ever after is evading Margaret ‘Maggie’ Moore.

From her bedroom in the Tower of London, twenty-six-year-old Maggie has always dreamed of her own fairy-tale ending.

Yet this is twenty-first century London, so instead of knights on white horses, she has catfish on Tinder. And with her last relationship ending in spectacular fashion, she swears off men for good.

And then a chance encounter with Royal Guard Freddie forces Maggie to admit that she isn’t ready to give up on love just yet… But how do you catch the attention of someone who is trained to ignore all distractions?

Can she snare that true love’s first kiss… or is she royally screwed?

A right royal rom com, perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue and The Royal We.

Thank you to Avon for the ARC.

NOT FOR ME.

I don’t even much feel like writing this review because this book and I did not get along. I was expecting a cute romance set in London, learning a little about the guard life, sweet dates, some good kissing, etc.

What did I get?:

  • A big history lesson that did not further the ROMANTIC plot of a ROMANCE book whatsoever. Took up too many pages.
  • The love interest is hardly actually in the book. HE LITERALLY RUNS AWAY MULTIPLE TIMES.
  • Multiple bad Tinder dates that beg the question, WHY.
  • Third act wildness that caused me to laugh, because if not, I might throw my book.
  • Everything was over the top and not in a good way (clearly, HA).

I just…this let me down so much. And I’m going to end it here because I would not recommend it.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a mother (off-page), a manipulative gaslighting ex boyfriend

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph