ARC Book Review: The Magic of Light by Jordan Abitz

March 5, 2025February 25, 2025 GoodeyReads2 Comments

Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 361 pages
Author: Jordan Abitz
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 5th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

How do you build a life when yours has been shattered to dust?

Sawyer spent her childhood bouncing from one foster home to the next. As an adult, she spends her days advocating for those in the same broken system. When a child in her care runs away on a rural road in Kansas, it starts a chain reaction that unravels memories from her past. At the center is a grumpy rancher she can’t seem to stay away from. Sawyer wasn’t built for love and relationships. In the end, everyone always leaves.

Soren is no stranger to tragedy. Over the last eight years, he has rebuilt his life from the ruins of his greatest regret. When he returns from feeding cattle to find a beautiful woman sitting on his porch, he can’t shake a sense of déjà vu. Soren feels desperate to know her—especially when he finds out how closely connected she is to his past.

Is it possible for a relationship to last when love may not be enough to hold you together?

The Magic of Light is a contemporary romance novel about love, loss, and the power of hope against all odds.

Thank you to Love Notes PR and the author for an eARC.

BEAUTIFUL DEBUT.

Oh I enjoyed this so much. It’s such a beautiful romance that makes you FEEL. I loved the impact and themes and I am so excited for future books. There was clear intention and a lot of love that went into writing this story.

The main characters were great (yay for dual POV). Soren and Sawyer bond together through a soft and tender story. I loved how they showed up for each other and the inevitable draw that pulled them together over and over. The slow burn buuuurns in all the best ways.

I had a few minor quips about some repetitive thoughts and too many uses of the nickname, but honestly, that’s it. I was drawn into this book and had a hard time putting it down. The found family and small town made me NEEEED the next books in this series. I already love these characters very much.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary romance
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate
Content warnings: foster care (theme throughout), injury from an animal, mentions of child abuse (recounted), C-PTSD episodes, loss of a sibling (recounted, car accident), grief depiction

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ARC Book Review: The Serendipity (Only Magic in the Building) by Emma St. Clair

March 5, 2025February 24, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 276 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 5th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He’s a no-nonsense businessman. She’s a free-spirited baker. But the magical building they live in seems to think they’re a perfect match…

When billionaire Archer Gaines needs to escape his father’s corrupt shadow and a related scandal, he purchases The Serendipity, a historic apartment building far from New York City.

He believes in bottom lines and big business deals, definitely not in the local folklore surrounding the town of Serendipity Springs. So he’s eager to move forward with plans to flip the building into luxury lofts.

But The Serendipity doesn’t particularly care what Archer believes, and the building has plans of its own.

Willa never believed in the rumors about her “magical” building. But that was before she walked into her closet looking for a sweater and found herself in another apartment altogether–in the penthouse closet of the grumpy and unfortunately attractive new building owner.

This is less of a meet cute than a meet ugly, and things only go downhill from there.

When Archer announces sweeping changes that include a rent increase, he becomes public enemy number one for the residents. And by charging Willa for use of the commercial kitchen, he puts her fledgling baking business at risk.

With his progress being (magically) blocked at every turn, Archer grows desperate for help.

But the bewitching woman he found hiding in his closet seems to present both the answer and a larger because Archer never planned to fall in love or stay in Serendipity Springs forever …

The Serendipity is a standalone book in the Only Magic in the Building series. These closed door, whimsical romance books are all set in the same historic building, which has a habit of playing matchmaker with its residents. There are light magical elements, but no spells, shifters, or dark magic of any kind.

Thank you to the author for the eARC.

THIS WAS SWEET.

I’m very excited for this multi-author series and getting my hands on the first book was a must. I love Emma St. Clair and this was another great read. The magical realism aspects were charming and didn’t overwhelm the book. I liked how it played out and it was easy to love on this magical building.

The romance is low angst but filled with some fiery banter. Willa and Archer come from completely different walks of life and clash a bit as they find their footing together. I loved all of the late night chats and I think the second half did a wonderful job of showing off the romance. I appreciate when things aren’t blown out of proportion and when communication is an important factor.

There were some good topics and themes discussed throughout. I liked understanding more about agoraphobia and the impact it can have on your life. The positive therapy points fit in well to the plot too. Add in a few fantastic kisses and this was another gem for me.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Content warnings: agoraphobia, emotional distant parent

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: February 2025

February 28, 2025February 28, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

The month of love. And a lot of good books! I love seeing all of the covers together at the end of the month.

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
[ARC] You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon
Here’s the Thing (The Seddledowne #4) by Susan Henshaw
[Short story] The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez
[ALC] A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
Sweet Wicked Vows (A Wicked Dade Brothers Book #1) by Rachel Donnan
Kingdom of Claw (The Ashen #2) by Demi Winters
[ARC] If Tomorrow Never Comes by Allison Ashley
A Crown So Silver (Fair Folk #2) by Lyra Selene
We Redeemed the Rain (Meadowbrook Ranch #1) by Ashley Dill
[Short story] Please Be Mine by K. Sinko
[ALC] Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods
[ARC] One More Wish (Sugar Valley #2) by Lindsey Lanza
Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft
[Novella] A Churn in the Dark (Into the Churn #2.5) by Hayley Reese Chow
The Rose Bargain (The Rose Bargain #1) by Sasha Peyton Smith
Beautifully Broken Control (Sutter Lake #4) by Catherine Cowles
[ARC/ALC] The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (The Three Realms Duology #1) by Amelie Wen Zhao
Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreen
The House of My Mother by Shari Franke
Beautifully Broken Redemption (Sutter Lake #5) by Catherine Cowles
[ARC] The Emerald Alliance (The Otherworlds #3) by Courtney Millecam
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion (Volume #8) by Beth Brower
[ALC] The Dark Mirror (The Bone Season #5) by Samantha Shannon
[ARC] The Serendipity (Only Magic in the Building) by Emma St. Clair
The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson
[ARC] The Magic of Light by Jordan Abitz
[ALC] Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven
[ARC] Secret or Shutout (D.C. Eagles #4) by Leah Brunner
Under Your Spell by Laura Wood
Taken With Trouble (Caught in Chaos #2) by Jenessa Fayeth
We Will Be Heroes (The Vigil & Ante Files #2) by Megan McCullough

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Book Review: Sweet Wicked Vows (A Wicked Dade Book #1) by Rachel Donnan

February 27, 2025February 7, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 347 pages
Author: Rachel Donnan
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 28th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

JAXON
Revenge doesn’t have an expiry date.
So when my brother hands me the chance to get it, I jump.
It doesn’t matter that it involves marrying my main competitor and enemy’s daughter.
All I have to do is focus on the task at hand and not on the redhead who makes me question everything, including my own heart.

EVELYN
My whole world is being turned upside down.
Broken-hearted and thrust into becoming CEO of my dad’s company, I make a deal with the Dade devils.
Marriage for one year. Simple.
Except everything I start to feel for Jaxon is anything but simple.
No matter how much I crave him, falling in love with my temporary husband isn’t an option, right?

PLEASANTLY SURPRISED.

Okay so, I picked this book based off of seeing it recommend on a Thread I wrote. It just called to me. And at the time of me writing this review, it has less than 40 reviews on Goodreads. I took a shot in the dark, and I am here to say, I enjoyed this book.

The marriage of convenience trope CALLED to me. And I answered. I thought it was a clever plot with the feuding jewelry stores and I did like both characters. There was some good and feisty banter. I love a man who speaks a different language and I thought the romance showed a lot of potential.

What was missing for me was a fleshing out of all aspects of the plot and romance. Since I’ve read 1,000+ romance books I felt like my mind filled in the blanks because I knew where things were going. I do wish that we had some more background on the feud, the characters, just all of the little pieces put together.

Will I read the next book? Maybe. I think the spice was a bit out of my wheelhouse preference level (but if you like more spicy things, I would say try this!!). I’m not mad I took a chance on reading this though. It brought me out of a slump I was mulling me way through.

Overall audience notes: