Tag: Book Review

Book Review: The Hope of Azure Springs by Rachel Fordham

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Historical fiction romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Rachel Fordham
Publisher: Revell
Release Date: July 3rd, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Seven years ago, orphaned and alone, Em finally arrived at a new home in Iowa after riding the orphan train. But secrets from her past haunt her, and her new life in the Western wilderness is a rough one. When her guardian is shot and killed, Em, now nineteen, finally has the chance to search for her long-lost sister, but she won’t be able to do it alone.

For Azure Springs Sheriff Caleb Reynolds, securing justice for the waifish and injured Em is just part of his job. He’s determined to solve every case put before him in order to impress his parents and make a name for himself. Caleb expects to succeed. What he doesn’t expect is the hold this strange young woman will have on his heart.

Debut author Rachel Fordham invites historical romance readers to the charming town of Azure Springs, Iowa, where the people care deeply for one another and, sometimes, even fall in love.

INVESTED.

I was happily surprised with how invested I became in this story and the characters. Because wow, when I found myself almost crying in a scene towards the end, I was blindsided. This book will really hit in the feels and the soul. It’s not a pleasant sunshine-y romance. There were a lot of hard moments and incredibly difficult pasts that made this book bring out the emotions.

Caleb and Em were adorable. I love their sweet interactions and really would have loved even more romance between them. That’s all that I felt was missing. Caleb was clearly sweet on Em and I love that they actually got a chance to have interactions together. I hate when couple don’t actually get time together so this was great on that front.

I’m not sure I’ve read many (if any?) Western romances? So getting Caleb as a sheriff helping Em figure out her troubles was *chefs kiss*. It definitely did things to my heart reading about him in uniform, riding on his horse, taking down bandits. YES.

Yes yes yes, they were also both very deep characters who were easy to be enjoy. Em learned a lot being thrust into the world and everything felt realistic. It was heartwarming and infused with hope for finding a safe space in someone and a safe space to call home.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fiction romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: bandits, attempted murder, murder, physical altercations
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, kidnapping, being orphaned, separated from a sibling, loss of parents (and siblings)

Instagram || Goodreads

Book Review: Falling for Your Boss (Love Cliches #2) by Emma St. Clair

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 277 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: December 19th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I am not that woman.

The one who falls for her much older, extremely handsome, and totally unavailable boss.

That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway.

I’ve watched the other women in the office fawn over Gavin, who just so happens to be one of Texas’ richest and most desirable bachelors.

But I’m interested in business. Totally professional.

Which is why Gavin has helped me so much in my career … right? Not because he’s attracted to me.

But when his past slams into his present, the lines between business and personal suddenly become very hazy.

Now all my carefully crafted plans are totally destroyed, and I have to decide what I want most: my career or the man who has helped me build it.

CHARMED.

I felt charmed by the end my read. I liked this one much better than the first. Took out some of the uncessary hoopla and added it a lot more tension. Yesssssss.

I gotta say, age gap is usually not my trope. I love the way this was written! It was romantic and endearing. I wanted Zoey and Gavin to be together. I felt it. All the chemistry. All the vibes. What I was worried might make me cringe was incredibly well developed that I through any initial issues out the window. You find love at any age, whatever works…works.

This was easy to fly through and kept my attention. I was reading a second book at the time but kept coming back to this because I wanted to know what would happen next. I am soft for taking care of a love interest when they’re sick. And Zoey and Gavin hit those scenes perfectly. I love the adaptable nature of Zoey (and Gavin now that I’m considering the scenario). There was a lot to take on and move forward with and they handled it pretty well.

I didn’t love a particular moment nearing the end, but I am so glad it didn’t last long so my opinion of the overall book wasn’t wholly affected. I wish the ending wasn’t wrapped up so quickly because I wanted more of them after the inital on fire kissing scenes. There’s a really cute epiloge though which I am always here for!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses/make-outs
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: divorce (cheating spouse), remembrance of a loss of a parent

Instagram || Goodreads

Book Review: Cytonic (Skyward #3) by Brandon Sanderson

GoodeyReads2 Comments

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Sci-Fi
Length: 432 pages
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Delacorte
Release Date: November 23rd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Reckoners series, the Mistborn trilogy, and the Stormlight Archive comes the third book in an epic series about a girl who will travel beyond the stars to save the world she loves from destruction.

Spensa’s life as a Defiant Defense Force pilot has been far from ordinary. She proved herself one of the best starfighters in the human enclave of Detritus and she saved her people from extermination at the hands of the Krell—the enigmatic alien species that has been holding them captive for decades. What’s more, she traveled light-years from home as an undercover spy to infiltrate the Superiority, where she learned of the galaxy beyond her small, desolate planet home.

Now, the Superiority—the governing galactic alliance bent on dominating all human life—has started a galaxy-wide war. And Spensa’s seen the weapons they plan to use to end it: the Delvers. Ancient, mysterious alien forces that can wipe out entire planetary systems in an instant. Spensa knows that no matter how many pilots the DDF has, there is no defeating this predator.

Except that Spensa is Cytonic. She faced down a Delver and saw something eerily familiar about it. And maybe, if she’s able to figure out what she is, she could be more than just another pilot in this unfolding war. She could save the galaxy.

The only way she can discover what she really is, though, is to leave behind all she knows and enter the Nowhere. A place from which few ever return.

To have courage means facing fear. And this mission is terrifying.

AMAZING AS USUAL.

If I can trust in one bookish thing, it’s that Brandon Sanderson books will always be enjoyable. This was, of course, no different. I loved this installment and am now anxiously awaiting what I know will be a stunning finale.

I LOVE Spensa. She makes me laugh, want to shake her, and also be best friends. Spensa is bold and a little headstrong, but I love her awareness and the passion with which she cares for her loved ones. She found herself wrapped up in a new found family situation and leaned so much about herself and how to save the galaxy.

A sucker for romance, the absolutely SOFT MOMENTS between Spensa and Jorgen melted me. I am so happy these were included!!! It helped to see that side of things (though I’ve read both novellas which was a big help too, definitely read those!) and have a better understanding of all the happenings in Detritus.

Sanderson has created a unique world in the nowhere and I was fascinated by its exploration. There were a ton of new races to meet, old friends showed up, more fighter pilot space battles and more. And who knew I would be attached to another sentient AI?! M-Bot had me feeling all the things by the end and I love the wheelhouse of emotions pulled out of me by this incredible writing.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Sci-Fi
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: near death experiences, fighter pilot battles

Instagram || Goodreads

Book Review: Once Upon A Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Monica Gomez-Hira
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: March 2nd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Jenny Han meets “Jane the Virgin” in this flashy and fun Own Voices romcom from debut author Monica Gomez-Hira.

Carmen Aguilar just wants to make her happily ever after come true. Except apparently “happily ever after” for Carmen involves being stuck in an unpaid summer internship! All she has to do is perform! In a ball gown! During the summer. In Miami.

Fine. Except that Carmen’s company is hired for her spoiled cousin Ariana’s over the top quinceañera.

And of course, her new dance partner at work is none other than Mauro Reyes, Carmen’s most deeply regrettable ex.

If Carmen is going to move into the future she wants, she needs to leave the past behind. And if she can manage dancing in the blistering heat, fending off Mauro’s texts, and stopping Ariana from ruining her own quinceañera Carmen might just get that happily ever after after all. 

A LET DOWN.

This book really took me back. I was in a few friends quince’s growing up and all of the practicing, trying on dresses and learning new dances reminded me of the wonderful times those were.

There were many many ups and downs in Carmen’s journey. I think there was a bit tooooo much drama for me. Now that I’m thinking on it, I don’t remember many people giving out genuine apologies? Things felt brushed under the rug, even at the end. Carmen spent the entire (no, really) book angry. So angry at everything. I love a good character arc, but waiting until 95% to give it, was definitely too long to wait. Way more development was needed.

Mauro was super sweet at least! I liked his efforts in reconnectiong and understanding what happened intitially between him and Carmen. The enemies to lovers (+ second chance) trope is always a good decision so I wasn’t mad about that.

The plot was there and I enjoyed what I got overall. It was muddled on and off with many tangents that I didn’t know what the main focus was supposed to be. I didn’t like but maybe 2 (of the many) side characters. Nobody ever got better. No growth to be found by anyone who deseperately needed it. Waverly was an unsung hero and I wish more focus had been put on her friendship with Carmen.

Other aspects like Carmen working for a company that dresses up and princesses/princes for parties was fun. The parties with the little kids made me smile and was wholesomely sweet. Carmen’s video-editing hobby was really cool too! I would have loved to have seen even more of that as well.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: kisses to closed door scenes
  • Violence: a lot of yelling and familial conflicts, brief physical altercation
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: brief mention of sexual harrassment in the first chapter or two

Instagram || Goodreads