Tag: Book Review

Book Review: An Impossible Imposter (Veronica Speedwell #7) by Deanna Raybourn

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Mystery
Length: 325 pages
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: February 15th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

While investigating a man claiming to be the long-lost heir to a noble family, Veronica Speedwell gets the surprise of her life in this new adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

London, 1889. Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian beau Stoker are summoned by Sir Hugo Montgomerie, head of Special Branch. He has a personal request on behalf of his goddaughter, Euphemia Hathaway. After years of traveling the world, her eldest brother, Jonathan, heir to Hathaway Hall, was believed to have been killed in the catastrophic eruption of Krakatoa a few years before.

But now a man matching Jonathan’s description and carrying his possessions has arrived at Hathaway Hall with no memory of his identity or where he has been. Could this man truly be Jonathan, back from the dead? Or is he a devious impostor, determined to gain ownership over the family’s most valuable possessions–a legendary parure of priceless Rajasthani jewels? It’s a delicate situation, and Veronica is Sir Hugo’s only hope.

Veronica and Stoker agree to go to Hathaway Hall to covertly investigate the mysterious amnesiac. Veronica is soon shocked to find herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past. To help Sir Hugo discover the truth, she must open doors to her own history that she long believed to be shut for good.

NEUTRAL.

I went into this with a different mindset after not loving the previous two books. This series reads much more like a cozy mystery set in a historical time period and once my brain clicked to that kind of genre, things got better.

Veronica and Stoker were as always, just fine! I liked getting more of Veronica’s back story and learning some new angles to her personality. Stoker, formidable and dedicated still made me swoon with the way he talks to Veronica. I love that there connection continually seems to strengthen which each passing tale.

This started off as an interesting story. I liked the new characters added and seeing the old resurface. Towards the end I thought things became repetitive again. There’s only so many times you can get kidnapped at gun point before a switch in story telling needs to be made.

While I didn’t love the ending, it definitely opens the story back up for future books. I heard there’s at least two more coming so I get it, EVEN IF I’M FRUSTRATED BY IT. Anywho, this is a fun series to mix in with denser reads.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Mystery + Romance
  • Language: little
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: low blood, mild otherwise
  • Overall audience notes: kidnapping, impersonation, mentions of torture, gun violence, physical altercations, near death experiences, colonialism

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ARC Book Review: Exes and O’s by Amy Lea

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Amy Lea
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: January 10th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A romance novel–obsessed social media influencer revisits her exes on her hunt for true love in this romantic comedy from the author of Set On You.

Romance-novel connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times by ten different men–all of whom dumped her because of her “stage-five clinger” tendencies. Nevertheless, Tara is determined to find The One. The only problem? Classic meet-cutes are dead thanks to modern dating apps. So Tara decides to revisit her exes in hopes of securing her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance.

Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe will be the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn’t his thing. When his new roommate Tara enlists him to help her reconnect with her exes, he reluctantly agrees. But Tara’s journey is leading him to discover his own new chapter.

The more time they spend together, the more Tara realizes Trevor seems to be the only one who appreciates her authentic, dramatic self. To claim their happily-ever-after, can Tara and Trevor read between the lines of their growing connection?

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for an eARC.

ADORE.

Ohhh how this grew on me. After loving Set On You I had to get my hands on this book and it did not disappoint.

I loooved Tara. I connected through many of her thoughts about romance, love and life and really enjoyed the journey her character went on. Her ability to be optimistic about love and the place she wanted it to hold in her life was incredibly hopeful. Tara needed someone to see and love all of her and that’s where sweet Trevor enters the picture. TREVOR. Good heavens. From a disastrous meeting to slowly peeling away all of those layers!? I was in a PUDDLE by the ending confessions. I loved his counter balancing gruff nature and how he was just always *there*. This duo truly went from roommates to friends to lovers and I was couldn’t get enough.

The forced proximity moments had me grinning like a fool. I LOVED the banter and all the times Tara dragged Trevor along (who we all know went willingly) to whatever plan she had in store that day. The entire vibe of this book was exactly what I was seeking. A light hearted (yet serious) look at finding love.

Amy Lea is easily becoming an auto-read author for me. I love the way she writes romances and the slow burn payoff is always worth it.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 2-3 open door; mild explict
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: a child with a heart condition, gaslighting, mentions of death of loved ones

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Photo credit to author Amy Lea

Amy Lea is an Asian Canadian government analyst who runs the Bookstagram account @amyleabooks, where she promotes and reviews contemporary romance novels. Set on You is her debut novel. Learn more online at www.amyleabooks.com.  

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Book Review: Daughter of the Deep (The Children of Lyr #1) by Lina C. Amarego

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 364 pages
Author: Lina C. Amarego
Publisher: Silver Wheel Press
Release Date: August 15th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A wedding to end a war.

It’s been four years since the blood feud between the Branwens and Mathonwys started. Four years of sunken ships and loved ones lost, four years of wounds both seen and unseen. Keira Branwen is no stranger to duty. As the first mate of a legendary pirate ship, blessed by the sea-god Lyr, and heir apparent to her clan, she would sail to the Otherworld and back to keep her family safe.

But when the Council threatens banishment for her people, Keira is faced with a choice; she must either marry her father’s alleged killer, the sea-snake Ronan Mathowny, or curse her family to the deep.

But in the Seven Isles of the Deyrnas, secrets sleep just beneath the surface of the water. Her father’s death is still shrouded in mystery, and Ronan–her childhood friend, the man she once loved — is hell-bent on proving his innocence. As enemies become friends and friends become suspects, Keira must wade through the waters of doubt to expose the truth, save her family, and restore her father’s legacy.

But Keira soon learns that there are ties thicker than blood, and there is more than one way to sacrifice a life.

STAR FOR POTENTIAL.

I probably could have rated this somewhere in the 2 star zone, buuuut I think for those who really prefer ROMANCE over FANTASY there’s a lot of potential here. I love fantasy romances, but within a fantasy book I expect and hope for world building. I crave and need it to enjoy the story. There was very little of that here.

There doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason as to why the main character has some kind of magic ability involving the ocean but nobody else does? And there’s shifters too? But why? Where did they come from? Why does the ocean speak sometimes? PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME. I spent so much of my time frustrated without these answers that I could barely see the aspects I did like.

One of the things I did like was the romance. Got off on a rough foot (because yet again, needed back ground world building), but once I kind of figured out what was happening, things moved at a sweet pace. I liked Ronan and Keira together. A bit of a second chance, enemies to lovers dynamic that played well for these two. I liked that they both fought for each other and found some common ground to build a new foundation between them.

I won’t be continuing this series (I think there’s one more book?). Didn’t mesh with enough of it to be worth figuring out what happens next.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: little
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: mild
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: weapons violence, shipwrecks, death of a parent, near death experiences

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ARC Book Review: The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Priyanka Taslim
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Release Date: January 3rd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Pride and Prejudice in this delightful and heartfelt rom-com about a Bangladeshi American teen whose meddling mother arranges a match to secure their family’s financial security—just as she’s falling in love with someone else.

Zahra Khan is basically Bangladeshi royalty, but being a princess doesn’t pay the bills in Paterson, New Jersey. While Zahra’s plans for financial security this summer involve working long hours at Chai Ho and saving up for college writing courses, Amma is convinced that all Zahra needs is a “good match,” Jane Austen style.

Enter Harun Emon, who’s wealthy, devastatingly handsome, and…aloof. As soon as Zahra meets him, she knows it’s a bad match. It’s nothing like the connection she has with Nayim Aktar, the new dishwasher at the tea shop, who just gets Zahra in a way no one has before. So, when Zahra finds out that Harun is just as uninterested in this match as she is, they decide to slowly sabotage their parents’ plans. And for once in Zahra’s life, she can have her rossomalai and eat it too: “dating” Harun and keeping Amma happy while catching real feelings for Nayim.

But life—and boys—can be more complicated than Zahra realizes. With her feelings all mixed up, Zahra discovers that sometimes being a good Bengali kid can be a royal pain.

Thank you Book Club Favorites and Simon and Schuster for the gifted copy.

REAL SWEET.

I adored this! I LOVE that it fits perfectly into the young adult category. I know I’m far past that, but it goes to show that it can be a well loved book for all ages too.

Zahra went on a coming of age journey through a dash of a love triangle and I was pleasantly charmed. Not one to generally be a fan of love triangles I liked the way this one worked out. Both boys helped Zahra realize some things about herself and ultimately led to a lot of growth for all parties. I do wish there was a little more romantic relationship development, but that’s really the only thing I needed more of.

Even when I found the mom/daughter dynamics frustrating, I loved how caring they were. Both sides looking out for one another and having that true, real relationship between them. I love supportive and kind families and this had a great one.

The plot moved steadily and I don’t remember being bored with any of it. It’s got a great level of dramatics that only add to the flair of the storyline. I loved Zahra’s friendships and how those weren’t just for show. Growing those relationships, even as things are changing, is such an important aspect of life.

Beautiful debut. I loved learning more about Bangladeshi culture and loved the coming of age tale. Can’t wait for more!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a parent (off page, prior to book), low income situations

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