Tag: delacorte press

Book Review: A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Josie Silver
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: October 3rd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A young chef stumbles on a secret family recipe that might lead her to the love—and life—she’s been looking for in this stunning novel.

When Iris decides to move to New York to restart her life, she realizes she underestimated how big the Big Apple really is—all the nostalgic movies set in New York she’d watched with her mom while eating their special secret-recipe gelato didn’t quite do it justice. 

But Bobby, Iris’s best friend, isn’t about to let her hide away. He drags her to a famous autumn street fair in Little Italy, and as they walk through the food stalls, a little family-run gelateria catches her eye—could it be the same shop that’s in an old photo of her mother’s?

Curious, Iris returns the next day and meets the handsome Gio, who tells her that the shop is in danger of closing. His uncle, sole keeper of their family’s gelato recipe, is in a coma, so they can’t make more. When Iris samples the last remaining batch, she realizes that their gelato and her gelato are one and the same. But how can she tell them she knows their secret recipe when she’s not sure why Gio’s uncle gave it to her mother in the first place?

Iris offers her services as a chef to help them re-create the flavor and finds herself falling for Gio and his family. But when Gio’s uncle finally wakes up, all of the secrets Iris has been keeping threaten to ruin the new life—and new love—she’s been building all winter long.

IN MY FEELS.

I didn’t expect this book to take over my entire day, but this audiobook and I hung out until I was finished because it was SO GOOD. I loved this book!! If you’re looking for something a little bit heavier for a holiday romance, this could be it.

Iris and Gio really just hit me over the head with the feels. For a fast paced romance, the chemistry was there. I genuinely enjoyed them as a couple and seeing how both were working through some dark moments of their past and allowing this light to shine between them. The little bit of flashback chapters squeezed my heart and helped bring a better understanding to the present day plot.

My one little gripe was that I felt Iris could have been open about a few things sooner and would have saved some of the unnecessary drama. I didn’t totally mind how it has handled after the fact which led me to feel positive about the whole situation. Especially some of those ending scenes as Iris was finally able to lock the door on who was haunting her past.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: fade to black/vague open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: abusive ex (recounted), loss of a spouse (recounted)

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Book Review: Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Magical Realism Mystery + Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Adrienne Young
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: September 27th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A deeply atmospheric story about ancestral magic, an unsolved murder, and a second chance at true love.

Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings.

But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming. The morning she wakes to find that every single tree on Saoirse has turned color in a single night, August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that the town has tried desperately to forget.

August knows he is not welcome on Saiorse, not after the night everything changed. As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard, Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods, shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer. When he returns to bury his mother’s ashes, he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from his past that has never healed—Emery.

The town has more than one reason to want August gone, and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises spanning generations threaten to reveal the truth behind Lily’s mysterious death once and for all.

I THINK THIS IS HER BEST.

There was something about this writing style that fit Adrienne Young so perfectly that I had a hard time putting it down. From the first few chapters I was wrapped up in the wildness of Saoirse island and the stories it held.

I did like the multiple points of view. I think it works well for a story like this and gives those extra angles needed to fully understand motives and desires. I do wish there was a touch more from Lily. I had a hard time believing her reasoning behind her choices, but that’s a small complaint compared to how much I loved everything else.

The second chance romance brought the pain. I wanted these two to make up and move forward because I loved them so. They push and pull of that cord that finally snapped between them was everything I want in angst and slowburn style romances.

Mystery wise my inklings were on the right track but I liked that some stuff was still surprising too. I loved the atmosphere and the small town witchy vibes. I wanted a bit more closure in the ending (a personal preference), but otherwise, fantastic. Can’t wait for more.

Overall audience notes:

  • Magical Realism Romance + Mystery
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: 2ish scenes; low explicit
  • Violence: med-high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: multiple murders, arson, attempted murder, blackmail, loss of a parent(s) (recounted), grief depiction

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Book Review: Places We’ve Never Been by Kasie West

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Rating: ★★☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: May 31st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A sweet and swoony contemporary Young Adult novel about a cross-country family road trip that puts one girl and her childhood best friend on an unexpected road to romance!

Norah hasn’t seen her childhood best friend, Skyler, in years. When he first moved away, they’d talk all the time, but lately their relationship has been reduced to liking each other’s Instagram posts. That’s why Norah can’t wait for the joint RV road trip their families have planned for the summer.

But when Skyler finally arrives, he seems…like he’d rather be anywhere else. Hurt and confused, Norah reacts in kind. Suddenly, her oldest friendship is on the rocks.

An unexpected summer spent driving across the country leads both Norah and Skyler down new roads and to new discoveries. Before long, they are, once again, seeing each other in a different light. Can their friendship-turned-rivalry turn into something more?

MMM.

I go up and down with Kasie West books (big winners for me are P.S. I Like You and Sunkissed). This unfortunately fell deep in to the miss category.

The whole premise of the book is based off of a silly miscommunication between two friends who moved away from each other. That’s it. That’s the story. OH WAIT, alongside that is a sub plot about a parent choosing to hide information from her children (that, I understood to some degree, but didn’t love the way this went about). Both of these were red flags in my final opinions.

I did like the road trip antics. Those are fun, traveling in massive RV’s, eating by campfire, meet new friends. All good stuff. And there were some cute romance scenes too! Once both Norah and Skyler stopped acting ridiculous it was great. I thought they handled their relationship so much better after, ya know, COMMUNICATING.

We’ll see what the next West story holds.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: a parent with cancer

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ARC Book Review: Song of Silver, Flame Like Night (Song of the Last Kingdom #1) by Amelie Wen Zhao

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy + Romance
Length: 512 pages
Author: Amelie Wen Zhao
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: January 3rd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In a fallen kingdom, one girl carries the key to discovering the secrets of her nation’s past—and unleashing the demons that sleep at its heart. An epic fantasy series inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.

Once, Lan had a different name. Now she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her people’s magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and her days scavenging for what she can find of the past. Anything to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died.

The mark is mysterious—an untranslatable Hin character—and no one but Lan can see it. Until the night a boy appears at her teahouse and saves her life.

Zen is a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom. Their magic was rumored to have been drawn from the demons they communed with. Magic believed to be long lost. Now it must be hidden from the Elantians at all costs.

When Zen comes across Lan, he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm. He’s never seen anything like it—but he knows that if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.

Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep within—secrets they must hide from others, and secrets that they themselves have yet to discover. Fate has connected them, but their destiny remains unwritten. Both hold the power to liberate their land. And both hold the power to destroy the world.

Now the battle for the Last Kingdom begins.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for an eARC.

PROGRESSIVELY BETTER.

This lived up to a lot of hope I had for a new series starter.

An amazingly well crafted story unveiled itself over 500 pages (where I hardly noticed it was that long to begin with). I loved the writing style and most of the pacing worked well too. There’s a good balance of learning moments, action, and even a bit of romance.

My one issue was the info dumping. It was scattered throughout, but noticeable when you hit it. There were MANY explanations of the magic system, history of the world and political dynamics. All fine and dandy but I think it could have been spread out more effectively.

I loved the complexity of the magic system and yin vs. yang. Good vs. evil. It added a morally grey level that I am always here for as characters struggled to decide what kind of power they wanted to wield. I love dynamic characters who struggle and learn and grow and those arcs are definitely starting here.

The romance was sweet! I wish there had been a bit more build to the relationship, but I see the potential for continued intricacies over the series. The dual POV’s between Lan and Zen worked great for keeping the story moving and understanding multiple angles to the story.

I enjoyed multiple reveals and found that the book only got better and better. I can’t wait for the next one!!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mass loss of life, loss of parents, battle themes, torture, possession, assault

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