Tag: indie author

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: May 2022

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A mixed bag of a month, most of five star reads came from rereads. But now I am ready for all of the summer reads!

Favorite Reads This Month: Some Mistakes Were Made, The Phoenix Priest, TBK/TTQ, QOS, Love & Olives, All the Feels, Love in Bloom, Roaring, The Bluff

  • [Graphic Novel] Heartstopper Vol. 4 by Alice Oseman
  • Obsidian Throne (The Lochlann Feuds #4) by Robin D. Mahle and Elle Madison
  • [ARC] Exactly Where You Need to Be by Amelia Diane Coombs
  • Just Go With It (Just Us #1) by Madison Wright
  • Bonded Fate (Guardians of the Maiden #2) by Beck Michaels
  • The Do-Over by Bethany Turner
  • Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer
  • Book of Night by Holly Black
  • Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
  • Book Lovers by Emily Henry
  • The Phoenix Priest (The Blood and Water Saga #2) by Cassidy Clarke
  • [Reread] The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom #1) by Danielle L. Jensen
  • [ARC] Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
  • [Reread] Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [ARC] Edward and Amelia by Karen Thornell
  • Love & Olives (Love & Gelato #3) by Jenna Evans Welch
  • Last Chance Summer by Shannon Klare
  • The Queen’s Rising (The Queen’s Rising #1) by Rebecca Ross
  • The Witch Collector (Witch Walker #1) by Charissa Weaks
  • [Bonus Chapters] The Calm Before the Storm (The Bridge Kingdom #3.5) by Danielle L. Jensen
  • All the Feels (Spoiler Alert #2) by Olivia Dade
  • [Novella] The Missed Connection (Airport Novellas #2) by Denise Williams
  • [Graphic] Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron by Julia Quinn
  • [Reread] The Traitor Queen (The Bridge Kingdom #2) by Danielle L. Jensen
  • [ARC] For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa
  • Complex (The Sweet Rom”Com”s #2) by Kortney Keisel
  • An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan
  • Love in Bloom (Some Kind of Love #4) by Jenny Proctor
  • Firebrand (Green Rider #6) by Kristen Britain
  • Maybe Now (Maybe #2) by Colleen Hoover
  • Reign & Ruin (Mages of the Wheel #1) by J.D. Evans
  • [Novella] Unrequited (The Donovans #0.5) by Martha Keyes
  • How to Kiss Your Best Friend by Jenny Proctor
  • Roaring by Lindsey Duga
  • [Novella] A Wilderness of Glass (Wraith Kings #2.7) by Grace Draven
  • The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia #1) by Sarah Beth Durst
  • Gleam (The Plated Prisoner #3) by Raven Kennedy
  • A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan
  • [ARC] The Bluff (Graham Brothers #2) by Emma St. Clair
  • [Novella] Love Beginning (Some Kind of Love #0.5) by Jenny Proctor

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ARC Book Review: The Godborn and the King (The Raven and the Dove #4) by Kaitlyn Davis

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Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 486 pages
Author: Kaitlyn Davis
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: May 23rd, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Return to the world of The Raven and the Dove, where winged people rule the skies, a lost kingdom lives at sea, and two star-crossed lovers hold the fate of each in their palms. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo!

A love written in the stars…

Thrown into a world of claws and flame, Lyana and Rafe must work together to survive. Dragons abound. Danger lurks. And the hybrids are out for blood. But perhaps more terrifying are the questions in their hearts. Are they ready to lead? Were they ever truly in love? Or with the prophecy realized, will everything they thought they had fall apart?

A clash five hundred years in the making…

With the isles now returned to the sea, two worlds have become one. The avians will do anything to protect their homes. The mages will do anything to take them. And without a king or queen of prophecy to guide them, peace is no longer an option. Xander must decide where his loyalties lie—with the ravens he’s sworn to serve or the woman he can’t help but love.

Find the chosen one or face the end of everything…

Deep in the skryr’s dreams, Cassi bears witness to the prophetess’s final vision. A rift mage lives and Cassi is the only one with the power to find her. She’ll sacrifice anything to save the world, including her future with Xander, but even the queen of secrets never anticipated the mysteries waiting for her in the mist. 

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

WHAT A CONCLUSION.

I’ve been enjoying this series since the start and I am so excited to be able to say I loved the conclusion. It had a lot of things I look for in a finale and gave me all the feels.

I adored these romances. Rafe & Lyana getting some alone time and finding an even deeper bond between them. Xander & Cassi both looking past their faults and seeing how strong they can be on their own and together. YES TO ALL THE ABOVE. I thought Brighty’s romance was sweet too, but it wasn’t well developed. It was like one chapter she saw the other woman and was interested, and the next, confession of love. I just wanted more build-up there, but I’m glad she found someone too.

The plot stayed moving. I know I’m not loving a book if I find myself skimming to dialogue, this was not the case for me here. I wanted to take in every word and enjoy the story’s pace and the unfolding drama. Plenty of action, moments to cheer, moments that had me gasping all barreling towards an ending that’s easy to be satisfied with. I would have loved a bit more from Rafe and Lyana in regards to the plot. They were stuck somewhere else for so long that I feel they missed out on a lot. I know part of the ending with them will be polarizing but I LOVED it. I thought it made a lot of sense and got me alllllll in the feels.

Great read, I seriously can’t wait to see what Davis writes next. I’m glad I hopped onto this fantasy romance because it’s a gem. If you haven’t added to your TBR already, now it’s complete so you SHOULD DO IT.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: vague and brief open door
  • Violence: mild to mid-high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a parent, loss of loved ones, kidnapping, torture, near death experiences

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Book Review: The Mostly Real McCoy (Apple Valley Love Stories #1) by Julie Christianson

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 283 pages
Author: Julie Christianson
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: April 30th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Single-dad Mac needs a temporary nanny for his daughter, Daisy. I need a second job until my promotion kicks in. Since our arrangement is only for one month, I am positive I won’t get attached. Medium positive. Okay, I’m negative.

This is a terrible idea.

Because I can’t give Mac and Daisy what they need, and I won’t risk breaking their hearts, but his green eyes and her crooked pigtails have me dreaming about forever. And who can resist a dad buying pink ballerina tights after a day spent in a hard hat?

The thing is Mac is a fixer, and I need to repair my own life. Better yet, I don’t want to feel broken. So it’s a good thing the worst has already happened to me. Nothing will hurt more now. Water can’t get wetter. That’s what I keep telling myself.

Too bad I’m all wrong.

CHARMED BY APPLE VALLEY.

What a great read! I’ve been seeing this making the rounds on bookstagram and it did not disappoint.

The chemistry and pacing worked really well for Brooke and Mac. With a month time frame I felt the draw between them and the nature of which the story was built on. It was easy to be swept away into Apple Valley. I found myself smiling and chuckling at a handful of scenes. I love a single-dad trope and Mac and Daisy were so precious and just trying to make it through what life had handed them.

Some [spoilers] related matters felt a bit out of nowhere. This wasn’t necessarily a deal breaker for me, but I hate when a twist feels like it’s added purely to push the plot rather than fitting into the story nicely.

It’s a very sweet romance, some swoony kisses and quiet moments. I would have loved even more moments where Brooke and Mac could have had more alone time together. I thought the conflict was handled mostly well. Half of it I was cool with, the other I was about to flip a table with. So you win some, you lose some on that matter. I look forward to the next book in the series with Emi!!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: infertility, parental abandonment, separation and divorce

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Book Review: Always Only You (Bergman Brothers #2) by Chloe Liese

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 366 pages
Author: Chloe Liese
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: July 25th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Get ready for an emotional ride filled with laughter, longing, and a sweet slow-burn in this sports romance about love’s power not in spite of difference, but because of it.

Ren

The moment I met her, I knew Frankie Zeferino was someone worth waiting for. Deadpan delivery, secret heart of gold, and a rare one-dimpled smile that makes my knees weak, Frankie has been forbidden since the day she and I became coworkers, meaning waiting has been the name of my game—besides, hockey, that is.

I’m a player on the team, she’s on staff, and as long as we work together, dating is off-limits. But patience has always been my virtue. Frankie won’t be here forever—she’s headed for bigger, better things. I just hope that when she leaves the team and I tell her how I feel, she won’t want to leave me behind, too.

Frankie

I’ve had a problem at work since the day Ren Bergman joined the team: a six foot three hunk of happy with a sunshine smile. I’m a grumbly grump and his ridiculously good nature drives me nuts, but even I can’t entirely ignore that hot tamale of a ginger with icy eyes, the perfect playoff beard, and a body built for sin that he’s annoyingly modest about.

Before I got wise, I would have tripped over myself to get a guy like Ren, but with my diagnosis, I’ve learned what I am to most people in my life—a problem, not a person. Now, opening my heart to anyone, no matter how sweet, is the last thing I’m prepared to do.

Always Only You is an opposites-attract, forbidden love sports romance about a nerdy, late-blooming hockey star, and his tough cookie coworker who keeps both her soft side and her autism diagnosis* to herself. Complete with a meddling secretary, tantric yoga torture, and a scorching slow burn, this standalone is the second in a series of novels about a Swedish-American family of five brothers, two sisters, and their wild adventures as they each find happily ever after.

*This is an #OwnVoices story for its portrayal of autism by an autistic author.

THIS WAS AMAZING.

My new favorite hockey romance.

This grump and sunshine trope was everrrrrything. They were absolutely adorable. Such amazing chemistry that I was for them from the get-go. I love the way that the attraction and angst is written. It’s an immediate connection, but has the perfect build-up that it doesn’t feel instant. It feels natural and real and brimming with all of feels.

The representation was wonderful. Frankie is on the autism spectrum and has rheumatoid arthritis. I love how she was written. That she wasn’t any less capable of accomplishing the things she wants to. Frankie is exactly who she is and I love that she learned to love herself and learned to let Ren love her too.

There were many great conversations with other characters that helped broaden my understanding of chronic illness and those who are on the spectrum. This is the importance of Own Voices books and the knowledge that can come from reading them while enjoying a beautiful story.

Ren was the best cinnamon roll. I love that he was the sunshine (since it’s usually the female that’s the sunshine). Wow did he bring it all. His commitment and passion for the areas of his life made me swoon. I loved his soul. He’s a nerdy Shakespeare lover, a REDHEAD and absolutely smitten with all things Frankie.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary sports romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: kisses to open door scenes
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: chronic illness (rheumatoid arthritis), chronic pain