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ARC/ALC Book Review: The Courting of Bristol Keats (The Courting of Bristol Keats #1) by Mary E. Pearson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 512 pages
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Publisher: Flatiron
Release Date: November 12th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Mary E. Pearson comes a thrilling romantic fantasy full of dangerous fae, dark secrets, and addictive romance.

After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt” she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from.

Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn’t know is that he’s the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.

Thank you to Flatiron for the gifted ARC and Macmillan audio for the ALC.

LOTS OF THOUGHTS.

Alright, y’all know this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 and I thought it delivered in the end. I do tend to have a hard time with an urban-ish setting where the characters kind of flip back and forth between fae/human lands. I thought enough time was spent in the fae lands that I was able to enjoy the fantasy world.

I loved that it was multiple POV. I love having views from all the characters. And with shorter chapters the pace was moving well and I was getting every angle of the story I needed to see the big picture.

The world building was perfectly fine and I love books with fae so no issues at all for me there. I thought Bristol was a FMC I could get behind and I think her potential is brewing and I liked the growth and strength throughout this book. There were some good reveals that you could see coming but enjoyed all the same with the dramatic fall outs.

I also loved the romance. It was a slow burn where the characters actually got to know each other and gave good push and pull with banter and heated moments. This is OPEN DOOR for anyone who has read her previous series. It’s vague though (my preference) and didn’t overwhelm the plot.

The audiobook was amazing. I listened and read my copy and loved the experience. I thought the narrator did a fantastic job for reading all of the POV’s and creating distinct voices.

I’m just a huge fan of MEP and I loved being immersed in her writing and world again. I can’t wait to see what happens in book two.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low-moderate
  • Romance: 3+ vague open door
  • Violence: moderate-high
  • Content Warnings: murder, loss of life, weapons violence

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ARC Book Review: Five Stolen Rings by Gracie Ruth Mitchell

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 272 pages
Author: Gracie Ruth Mitchell
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 11th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

FIVE stolen rings, FOUR calling birds, THREE French kisses, TWO falling in love, and a Partridge in a pear tree…
Stella Partridge never expected to move back to her hometown. She never expected to be a house-sitter for the twelve days leading up to Christmas as a desperate bid to earn some extra money. And she definitely never expected to recognize the thief that breaks into the house she’s Jack Piorra, her childhood best friend, the one who turned cold and distant overnight and never told her why.
Jack insists there’s something in this house that belongs to him. But Stella’s not going down without a fight–not in house-sitting, and not in love. If only locking the windows and doors could keep Jack from stealing her heart…
.
FIVE STOLEN RINGS is a wacky romcom mashup of Home Alone and Twelve Days of Christmas, perfect for fans of love, laughter, and holiday warm fuzzies!

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

IN LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

Oh this book is utterly charming and an absolute delight for the holiday season. If you don’t have time for many this year, LET THIS BE ONE OF THEM. I loved it so much. It had the perfect level of holiday shenanigans and let me tell y’all, it had one of my all time favorite tropes, a man who is gone for the FMC. I dare you to not swoon during his POV.

I loved all of the banter, it’s cheeky and sassy and incredibly flirtatious. The little flashback moments did a great job of setting up the present story line and I liked that the high school drama didn’t become an overwhelming issue as adults. Communication was key and I loved the way that Stella and Jack found their way back to each other.

This book reminded me of why I love reading holiday romances. The spirit of the season, some amazing heated kisses and sweet family and friends moments too. Five Stolen Rings has it all, it’s under 300 pages which I know is a highlight for many seeking something engaging and quick for this time of year.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low

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Book Review: None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Thriller
Length: 384 pages
Author: Lisa Jewell
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: August 8th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?

WHOA.

First, hats off to the audio production. I loved that this was full cast with sound effects. Really brought up the sinister vibes and creeped me out in the way you hope a thriller accomplishes.

I couldn’t believe half the things I was hearing as this story unfolded. It was twisted, a bit dark, and I was very intrigued to see the fallout. I feel like there is SO MUCH that could be unpacked here and watching the lines crisscross and blur kept me on edge.

It did feel a little slow for me towards the end when the reveals started happening. I hit this mindset where I was thinking, stop beating around the bush and just tell me. Which is probably why I’m not a huge thriller reader. But I’m definitely not mad I picked this one up, I thought it was worth the hype I’ve been seeing.

Overall audience notes:

  • Thriller
  • Language: moderate
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: Paedophilia & adult-minor relationships, child abuse, alcoholism, alcohol consumption & abuse, murder, kidnapping, stalking mentioned

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Book Review: The Mist Thief (The Ever Seas #3) by L.J. Andrews

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 454 pages
Author: L.J. Andrews
Publisher: Victorious
Release Date: June 30th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

he tried to kill him, so he made her his wife.

Skadi first met her husband-to-be with blades in hand on the opposite side of a battle. She lost, and he claimed his prize.

To her horror, the king of the shadow elven agrees to marry her off to Jonas, a prince in the fae realms, as a way to unite their kingdoms against a shared enemy—the light elves. Skadi knows the marriage is nothing but a political game. Feelings won’t come into play.

Except her new husband makes not falling in love . . . challenging.

When new threats arise, Skadi must decide to either love her enemy, or keep him alive by betraying him to another.

Welcome to another installment in the Ever Seas world where pirates, fae, and elves collide with Vikings in a dark fantasy romance between a morally gray cinnamon roll and the broken princess who steals his heart.

*This book is a standalone with a guaranteed HEA, and can be read before The Ever King/Queen, but to see the full impact of their story, it’s recommended to read that duet first. This series is set in the same world as the bestselling Broken Kingdoms series, but can be read independently, and readers are encouraged to read the list of triggers inside.*

LOVELY STANDALONE.

I loved loved loved being back in this world. It hit that fantasy romance craving I am always in search of and it was MARRAIGE OF CONVENIENCE. How was I supposed to resist???

I loved Skadi and Jonas. I love seeing a man fall hard and do whatever he can to make Skadi feel comfortable and safe with him and his family.

Jonas stilled for a breath, then leaned forward, drawing his cheek alongside mine. “Be kind, be gentle, and be monstrous. I will want you every way.”

This line was used a few times throughout and I was OBSESSED every time I read it. Who doesn’t want to be loved this way? Through the darkness and the light. It resonated deeply and made this passionate book all the more.

The physicality of the relationship started to outweigh the plot in the second half. And that did bug me enough to notice and mark it. Otherwise I don’t have any issues. The plot is slower and heavily romance focused rather than the larger plot. It has the edge of feeling cozy while still dark and gritty. I can’t wait for more books with future couples!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: high
  • Romance: 4+ open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: self harm (recounted), murder, assault, kidnapping, torture, mentions of emotional and mental abuse

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