Book Review: Goodbye Again by Caitlin Moss

January 14, 2025October 4, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 404 pages
Author: Caitlin Moss
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: September 3rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Fated to meet.
Destined to fall in love.
Bound to fall apart.

In Julia Waters’s world, everything is easily explained. Simple, uncomplicated, logical. Until she meets JP Chapman on a cross-country flight, the handsome kindergarten teacher charms her with his wit, humor, and irresistible smile. While spending a magical night wandering the streets of Seattle, the two stumble upon a fortune teller who predicts their futures will forever be entwined.

But sometimes the road to love isn’t a straight line. Over the span of five years, careers, different cities, and missed chances stand in the way of them being together. It isn’t until she starts listening to the advice of her late grandmother, who visits her dreams since that first night in Seattle, does Julia realize not everything about love is straightforward.

If she hopes to discover why an invisible string continues to pull her back to him, she must trust her grandmother’s advice and, ultimately, herself.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

Let me tell y’all, when I passed that halfway point I became an unhinged reader of this book. UNHINGED. The dramatic chaos that presented itself had me literally dropping my jaw and saying “noooooooo” and then getting a little teary-eyed too. This is an atypical romance for me. It does not follow a smooth pattern and brings the angst and WILL THEY EVER GET THEIR MOMENT vibes that left me breathless.

I really loved JP. And I loved Julia. EVEN IF I WANTED TO SHAKE THEM MULTIPLE TIMES. I don’t know how I feel about a few particular plot points but I jumped on the speeding train of this journey and rolled with it. There were so many good moments throughout and a lot of Julia’s family/mother dilemmas hit a little close to home.

My one tidbit about the romance was that every time JP and Julia were together there was a bit too much focus on the physicality of the relationship vs. other pieces I would have loved to see more of.

I thought it beautifully came together in the end and I am truly a fan of Caitlin Moss’s writing.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 4+ open door
Violence: low
Content Warnings: cancer, loss of loved ones, an emotionally abusive mother

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Book Review: Peaches & Honey: These Immortal Truths by R. Raeta

January 13, 2025December 6, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: R. Raeta
Publisher: Atera Books
Release Date: September 8th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A shapeshifting god,
an immortality granting peach,
and a woman gifted with forever.

England, 1184: Anna is used to hunger and hardship. Ever since she was seventeen, when the pale shadows of her vitiligo were spotted, she has spent more than a decade struggling to survive alone and in exile. Then a single act of kindness towards a beautiful stranger and the taste of a divine peach changes Anna’s life forever.

Suddenly, her body is as untouched by Time as it by harm. As she watches the world change around her, knowing every human connection is only temporary, there is only one person she trusts to always return no matter the years or distance…

The shapeshifting god who gifted her with immortality.

A HISTORY BOOK.

I am a bit disappointed by this book. It felt closer to a history book rather than an indie version of Addie LaRue (of which I loved). The years chosen for all of these jumps didn’t feel random necessarily, but there wasn’t a good flow of the plot of the jumps Anna hangs around different critical moments of history, talks about how horrible they are, and then goes to the next one.

Khiran is kind of a love interest? They seem to talk only ever few hundred years (until later in the story) and I honestly never felt a true connection. Yes, there’s some good moments but nothing I’d rave about.

I’m confused by the magic system, we had one story at the very end that kind of described what was happening, and that was it. We meet some other immortals with no background info and I wish this was more fully put together.

I don’t have plans to read the next book.

Overall audience notes:

Historical Fantasy Romance
Language: a little
Romance: one low explicit open door
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: witnessing a lot of humanities crimes, attempted sexual assault, loss of life

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ALC Book Review: Breath of the Dragon (Breathmarked #1) by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee

January 12, 2025December 24, 2024 GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 352 pages
Author: Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: January 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy duology based on characters and teachings created by Bruce Lee!

Sixteen-year-old Jun dreams of proving his worth as a warrior in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Earth to a new protector. Eager to prove his skills, Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s honor—righting a horrible mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother.

But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating. There is no future in honing his skills as a warrior, especially considering Jun is not breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and blessed with special abilities like his twin. Determined to be the next Guardian, Jun stows away in the wagon of Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers on their way to the capital where the tournament will take place.

As Jun competes, he quickly realizes he may be fighting for not just a better life, but the fate of the country itself.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Wednesday books for the gifted audiobook.

GREAT AUDIOBOOK.

I am a major Fonda Lee fan (have you read Jade City yet? BECAUSE YOU SHOULD). Any who, I knew I needed my hands on this book and it was great. If you enjoy high action and low romance fantasy reads, this is a solid pick. I will definitely be picking up the next book.

I loved Jun as the MC. He’s scrappy and a bit naive, but works hard to make a name for himself. The competition Jun finds himself in is intense and gritty. I liked that it didn’t take up the entire book and that there was a lot more politicking and nuanced world building happening in the background. I liked the magic system and dragon scale concept and the unique abilities that were brought about by being breathmarked.

Some of the twists feel a little predictable and I wouldn’t say that was a big issue, but I could ultimately see from the beginning where things were moving towards. The audiobook had a fantastic narrator though and it was a nice switch up to go with something less romantic than my usual fair.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy
Language: mild
Romance: none
Violence: moderate – high
Content Warnings: murder, loss of loved ones, blood/gore depiction

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Book Review: Holiday Hostilities (Cyclones Christmas #2) by Katie Bailey

January 11, 2025December 26, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Christmas Sports Romance
Length: 332 pages
Author: Katie Bailey
Publisher: Eleventh Avenue Publishing
Release Date: November 22nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s the most hateful time of the year…

There’s only one thing Olivia Griswold hates more than her brother’s best friend, Aaron Marino.

The NHL’s favorite playboy has hordes of adoring fans, but to her, he’s still the cocky jerk she’s loathed since high school.

But when Aaron hears Olivia’s spending the holidays with her roommates from hell, he offers her a place to escape to.

His place, to be exact.

In return, all she has to do is be his date to his hockey team’s Christmas gala. It seems simple enough, but Olivia soon discovers that sleeping behind enemy lines is a dangerous game—especially when the enemy looks like that.

Olivia knows she’s playing with fire, but she won’t let herself get burned again.

And they do say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer…

Get ready for delicious enemies-to-lovers banter and tension with tons of festive cheer in this charming hockey rom com. Holiday Hostilities is a closed door/fade to black romance that includes mild language, innuendo, and suggestive humor.

DID YOU SURVIVE THAT KISS?

Everyone kept mentioning this one kissing scene in Holiday Hostilities and hot DANG. They were RIGHT. Deliver me a swoony, sexy (but not open door) kissing scene and I am a goner. Praise be.

ANYWAYS. This book was great. I loved it. I had such a great time with the dynamic and banter between Olivia and Aaron. Call me smitten. I loved all of the nuanced details that showcased just how gone these two were for each other and the passion speaks for itself.

There was a small sub plot involving an obsessed and delusional side chick that I didn’t love. Just not my cup of tea for the drama of choice buuut it didn’t ruin the book for me. I was a still a goner for these two. Plenty of hockey action, some good holiday moments and now I have become a Katie Bailey fan.

Overall audience notes: