Tag: Book Review

Book Review: Battle Royal (Palace Insiders #1) by Lucy Parker

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Lucy Parker
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: August 17th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Beloved author Lucy Parker pens a delicious new romantic comedy that is a battle of whisks and wits.

Ready…

Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, colorful creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere, the hottest pastry chef in London. When her glittery unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has managed to use her fame to help fulfill her dream of opening a bakery, Sugar Fair. The toast of Instagram, Sugar Fair has captured the attention of the Operation Cake producers…and a princess.

Set…

Dominic is His Majesty the King’s favorite baker, the go-to for sweet-toothed A-List celebrities, and a veritable British institution. He’s brilliant, talented, hard-working. And an icy, starchy grouch. Learning that the irksome Sylvie will be joining him on the Operation Cake judging panel is enough to make the famously dour baker even more grim. Her fantastical baking is only slightly more troublesome than the fact that he can’t stop thinking about her pink-streaked hair and irrepressible dimple.

Match…

When Dominic and Sylvie learn they will be fighting for the once in a lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for the upcoming wedding of Princess Rose, the flour begins to fly as they’re both determined to come out on top.

The bride adores Sylvie’s quirky style. The palace wants Dominic’s classic perfection.

In this royal battle, can there be room for two? 

ROYAL WEDDING + BAKING ROMANCE.

If those two things above intrigue you, READ THIS BOOK. A great combination of the two.

Admittedly, I wasn’t loving the first half. It moved slowly. And it was a lot of telling vs. showing in regards to Dominic’s personality. He was also verrrrrrry boring. I had to wait a long time to see any cracks in that wall. When they did crack though, OH BOY.

I ADORED the way Sylvie and Dominic’s relationship flowed. It was one of the most natural progressions I’ve ever read. They were meant to be and it was so clear for each and every interaction they had. I was utterly smitten and wrapped up in it all.

At times the royal plot line really overshadowed the love story. It would turn a lot of focus onto the royal relationship and how that was going, what was happening, etc. It was fine initially, but took a lot away from Sylvie and Dom’s page time.

I love how the rival to lovers trope worked out. There wasn’t a ridiculous argument and over the top competitiveness. It worked out beautifully and further solidified how well these two needed each other. Full of romance (on many sub-plots), baking, and moving through grief. I’m excited to see who the series will follow next!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: kisses to multiple open door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: sexism, child neglect recounted, grief/loss depiction, death of parents and other loved ones

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Book Review: Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Gothic Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Dana Schwartz
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: January 18th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A gothic tale full of mystery and romance about a willful female surgeon, a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living, and the buried secrets they must uncover together.

Edinburgh, 1817.

Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.

Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.

When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, the university will allow her to enroll. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need bodies to study, corpses to dissect.

Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living, then.

But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets. Hazel and Jack work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society. 

NOT A FAN OF THE ENDING.

I love a good gory and darker YA book. This gave all of those vibes and more. [It is gruesome, please check warnings!]. Great atmosphere and I liked the writing style.

Hazel was a pretty solid YA heroine too. I liked her tenacity and that she refused to give up on her dream of becoming a doctor. Hazel might have taken some unorthodox routes to get there, but hey! I liked her and I’m cool with it.

The love story aspects didn’t really happen until the halfway point? For a smaller book that’s really hard to accomplish well and I thought it was lacking. I wasn’t as invested in the romance as I wanted to be. Hazel and Jack had some sweet moments, but I needed more.

Aaaaand that ending. Throwing in some fantasy aspects all of a sudden had me tilting my head. Seemed like an easy way to fix some of the remaining plot issues and attempt to tie everything up in a neat bow. It didn’t all come together the way I hoped.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Gothic Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: extremely blood/gore
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: grave robbing (with use of the bodies in medical fields), kidnapping, organ harvesting, body dissection (with detail)

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Book Review: Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: April 6th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Seventeen-year-old Mia, an American girl at an elite summer ballet program, has six weeks to achieve her dreams: to snag an audition with one of the world’s best ballet companies. But there’s more to Paris than ballet—especially when a charming French boy, Louis, wants to be her tour guide—and the pair discover the city has a few mysteries up its sleeve.

In the vein of romances like Love and Gelato, this is the perfect summer adventure for anyone looking to get swept away in the City of Love.

TAKE ME TO PARIS.

This was such a sweet YA read! I loved seeing parts of Paris and truly felt transported there. The writing was perfect for this and I was swept away into this story of following passions and having a summer romance.

Speaking of the romance, it was adorable. Louis and Mia were super cute and I would easily watch this movie. Louis was kind and this contrast to Mia that I loved. They both learned things from each other throughout the book and there was a realistic conflict and resolution that I am always here for.

A big focus was Mia and her ballet school. I LOVE books about dancing and this was no different. She went through some self discovery and was able to stand up in her own way. I really wish I could have watched the actual ballet scenes including Swan Lake (another point for this needing to be a movie!!).

The ending took me for a loop, but I ultimately thought it made both characters stronger and confirmed a lot of emotions and desires. There was such hope and light for it all that it gave me plenty of warm fuzzies. Definitely reminiscent of Anna and the French Kiss vibes (but, a whole different story!).

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: car accident resulting in injury/hospitalization, alcohol consumption

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Book Review: Red Rising (Red Rising #1) by Pierce Brown

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Sci-Fi / Fantasy
Length: 382 pages
Author: Pierce Brown
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: January 28th, 2014
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies… even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

AS ALWAYS, GOOD.

This is a reread review! I never reviewed it formally when I first read it in 2016 so what better time to write one now?

I LOVE this series. Especially the first three books. I surprised myself with how much I remembered about Red Rising and it goes to show how incredible Pierce Brown is at crafting a story that left such an impression that it is still memorable years later.

Darrow’s rise to the top contains such character depth that I can’t get enough. Anything to do with character growth is automatically a win in my book and I loved seeing his progression. Sevro is FOREVER AND EVER one of my top side characters ever and it was great seeing him at his wild beginnings.

I do remember wishing there was a touch more romance. I adore Mustang and her fierce yet kind nature. She makes the hard choices, but actually holds onto some humanity in doing so.

The villains are making themselves known and I am here for it. These are some of the most wicked and deep antagonists I’ve come across. I love the academy setting and how it really builds the rest of the series.

Can’t wait to continue this reread!

Overall audience notes:

  • Sci-Fi / Fantasy
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: very high and graphic
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of rape and sexual assault, murder, physical altercations, executions, loss of a spouse, near death experiences, weapons altercations

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