Book Review: The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus #1) by Rick Riordan

November 10, 2021March 3, 2021 GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult fantasy
Length: 553 pages
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: October 12th, 2010
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

JASON HAS A PROBLEM. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper, and his best friend is a guy named Leo. They’re all students at the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids,” as Leo puts it. What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly? Jason doesn’t know anything—except that everything seems very wrong.

PIPER HAS A SECRET. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare about his being in trouble. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits during the school trip, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out, whether she wants to or not.

LEO HAS A WAY WITH TOOLS. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about, and some camper who’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god. Does this have anything to do with Jason’s amnesia, or the fact that Leo keeps seeing ghosts?

Join new and old friends from Camp Half-Blood in this thrilling first book in The Heroes of Olympus series. Best-selling author Rick Riordan has pumped up the action, humor, suspense, and mystery in an epic adventure that will leave readers panting for the next installment.

NOT A BAD START.

Though, my biggest complaint was the length. I found it to drag occasionally and even on audio (listening very fast) some parts could’ve been cut.

I did like our new characters!! I miss Percabeth something fierce so I can’t wait to see them again. In the meantime it was fun to meet Jason, Piper and Leo. They definitely went on a wild adventure. I always feel like I get this amazing mythology lesson when I read these books. I loooove running into all of the gods and goddesses.

The writing is a nice break from super heavy fantasies of older genres (since this leads towards middle-grade). For me, that’s a big bonus. It’s really nice to read something lighter that still covers a lot of great topics for a younger audience. I love that books like this can span across ages for enjoying.

I’m really excited for all of the Roman aspects and hope those continue to play out later in the series. I’m grateful that while it does have the same characters from the previous series it seems to be making a space for itself. I’m excited to continue reading!

Overall audience notes:

MG/YA Urban Fantasy
Language: none
Romance: flirting
Violence: magical weaponry, physical altercations, teenagers often being put in harm’s way; nothing overly bloody/gory
Trigger/Content Warning: one of the main characters suffers from amnesia, loss of parents, kidnapping

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ARC Book Review: Starling by Isabel Strychacz

November 9, 2021September 27, 2021 GoodeyReads3 Comments

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Paranormal Romance
Length: 448 pages
Author: Isabel Strychacz
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Release Date: November 9th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Edward Scissorhands meets When the Moon Was Ours in this enchanting, lushly romantic novel about two teen sisters who fight to protect the mysterious stranger who literally fell from the stars and into their backyard.

Strange things have always happened in the small town of Darling…

Yet Delta Wilding and her sister Bee are familiar with the peculiar. Raised by an eccentric father always on the hunt for the spectacular, they’re used to following weather patterns that twirl onto strange paths, a car that refuses to play any artist but one, and living in a sentient house with whims of its own. But when a mysterious boy falls from the stars into the woods behind the Wilding sisters’ farmhouse, nothing can prepare them for the extraordinary turn their lives are about to take.

Extraordinary, and dangerous.

Starling Rust is not from this world and his presence in the Wilding home brings attention. As the terrified locals, Delta’s ex-boyfriend, and the unscrupulous mayor descend onto the Wilding’s home, both Delta and her sister go to incredible lengths to protect their mystical visitor—especially as Delta’s growing feelings for Starling could prove the greatest risk of all.

Filled with atmospheric prose and lush and vivid descriptions, Starling has the spectacular waiting with every flip of the page.

Thank you to the author for an eARC from winning a giveaway.

THE ATMOSPHERE.

Let me tell you I was GIDDY when I found out I won this giveaway. I’ve been hyped to read this book after following this author on Instagram for years. And y’all, get ready to add another book to your TBR.

The lush atmosphere of the town of Darling will transport you. I’m not usually one for a lot of prose and detail, but the way this was written had me captivated. I truly felt like I was there and that all of the detail I was getting was inherently important. The rotating multi-POV narrators captured many angles of the plot and really showed off some intricate characters who felt incredibly real.

Who knew I would highly enjoy an alien romance? Somehow over the course of just a few days I was allllll in the feels for Delta and Starling. They had this sense of magic about them and I loved all of the tiny interactions. It was an immediate connection that play the more “instant attraction” trope well.

The ending blindsided me. I realized just how emotionally invested and connected I was to Starling. I was wrapped up in the fray of chaos occurring and how those final scenes played out. THANK HEAVENS for an epilogue that gives me the hope and light for new horizons.

Overall audience notes:

YA Paranormal Romance
Language: very little
Romance: kisses to one implied closed door
Trigger/Content Warnings: missing Father, slut-shaming, gun violence, house fire, breaking and entering

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Book Review: Manor for Sale, Baron Included (A Romance of Rank #1) by Esther Hatch

November 8, 2021March 3, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Regency Romance
Length: 247 pages
Author: Esther Hatch
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: February 25th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She has everything Lord Farnsworth wants, including his manor.

Lord Farnsworth would rather rot in debtor’s prison than sell the one place that feels like home to him—his mother’s manor. That is, until he meets the woman who wants to buy it. Sally Duncan is beautiful, intelligent, and as rich as a baron—a rich baron, not a cash-strapped one like Lord Farnsworth. She’s the solution to every one of his financial problems and is bewitching to boot. All he needs to do is sell her his beloved manor and then charm her to the altar, and the manor will be his again. Simple, right?

But nothing is simple when Sally starts tearing apart his ancestral home and renovating it in a way no one would consider tasteful. She is wreaking havoc on everything, but he cannot give up on owning his mother’s estate again, nor can he imagine anyone but Sally as his wife.

And so he sticks with his plan.

What a horrible mistake.

ADORABLE & FUN

I had a good time with this one! It was a quick regency read that put me in a good mood and had me smiling throughout. The love interest, John, was ridiculously goofy, but also very endearing. I loved Sally and I thought it was amazing that she was a business owner and extremely independent. They were a great mix of opposites attract.

This was a new story in the regency world for me too. It was great having Sally purchase a house and a gentleman who had to work hard to prove himself to her. I feel like usually it’s the other way around, or at least the whole idea of everyone wants to be with a baron. This really turned it on its side and I looooved that. Not to mention, I really liked all of the boxing aspects!

Not very long, but just the right length. I thought some communication would have solved some of the problems. Yet, I do think the resolutions at the end came together. I understood why John and Sally both had to work through some things before being able to be together. Charming and sweet, I can’t wait for the next story!

Overall audience notes:

Regency romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: physical altercation
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a parent, a neglected sibling

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Book Review: White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

November 7, 2021October 17, 2021 GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Urban Fantasy
Length: 400 pages
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Release Date: March 26th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Layla just wants to fit in at school and go on a date with Zayne, whom she’s crushed on since forever. Trouble is, Zayne treats Layla like a sister–and Layla is a half demon, half gargoyle with abilities no one else possesses. And even though Zayne is a Warden, part of the race of gargoyles tasked with keeping humanity safe, Layla’s kiss will kill anything with a soul–including him.

Then she meets Roth–a demon who claims to know her secrets. Though Layla knows she should stay away, it’s tough when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue. Trusting Roth could ruin her chances with Zayne, but as Layla discovers she’s the reason for a violent demon uprising, kissing the enemy suddenly pales in comparison to the looming end of the world.

ROTH.

There’s your takeaway.

I see why everyone loves him. He is flying up my list of book boyfriends as well, so hopefully this all turns out well by book three.

Also, incredibly happy I enjoyed this because JLA books are super hit/miss for me. This was a hit. I’m ready for more. Writing this review is making me want to download book two, ASAP. I’ll probably have that review out soon too.

This was an urban fantasy that worked really well. Sometimes I have a difficult time suspending reality for an urban read. This didn’t happen here and I LOVE that. The pace was steady and full of just enough action. Combined with quiet moments and getting to know one another. It was fantastic. I found myself continuously wanting to pick this up to continue. I definitely think the wonderful narrator was to blame too, they did a fantastic job and I’d recommend the audio all day.

Things exploded at the end and many reveals were tossed out. I look forward to seeing the exploration of these plot lines and how they come back together. I heard a love triangle brews too? I’ll probably have some thoughts on that soon as well. I’m already fully for Roth and this backlist JLA is charming my soul.

Overall audience notes: