ARC Book Review: A Feeling Like Home by Haleigh Wenger

July 29, 2021July 29, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 270 pages
Author: Haleigh Wenger
Publisher: Sword and Silk
Release Date: August 3rd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sixteen-year-old Paige Williams can’t stop self-sabotaging.

Not when her dad gets sick, not when her relationship implodes, not even when her parents send her to another-freaking-state for the summer to live with her sister. Paige just wants to have fun, spray paint a few walls, and block out everything stressful, including her growing concern that she might be sick as well. To make things worse, her parents threaten her with boarding school in the fall if she can’t prove she’s changed her bad habits.

Paige’s parents sign her up for a rebuilding project in Texas where her sister lives. Meanwhile, Paige reluctantly befriends her sister’s straight-laced teenage neighbor, Joey, who is a frequent guest. He’s so different from her, but Paige realizes that may not be a bad thing, especially since being around Joey curbs her urge to vandalize and ignore the rules. He even makes her forget about the debilitating stomach cramps she struggles to hide.

Just as Paige begins to feel settled in Texas, her dad’s worsening Crohn’s disease brings her home to Seattle. When her own health fails her, she has the choice of staying at home and receiving care. Or, she could go back to Texas and prove for once and for all that she’s more than her mistakes and more than a disease. Torn between two worlds and two versions of herself, Paige must decide where, and with whom, she truly feels at home.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

MIXED THOUGHTS.

There’s some good and some bad here. Trying to wrangle my thoughts for this one.

Something I could understand were the emotions coming from 16 year-old Paige. She’s going through a lot and I recognize the thoughts and feelings she would be going through during a hard time in her life.

Now an item I really didn’t love. Paige. While I mentioned above, some stuff was fine, the rest definitely was not. One major issue, cheating. I don’t like it. Ever. I can’t get on board with any reasoning as to “why it’s okay.” It’s not. She dragged on a love triangle that was ridiculous and rubbed me the wrong way multiple times.

This book covered a lot of difficult subject matter (See trigger warnings). It was painful to watch the story unfold searching for hope. I liked the way Wenger brought that out in the end and gave Paige (and her family) a chance to reconnect and find some measure of peace.

Overall audience notes:

YA Contemporary romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Trigger/Content Warnings: loved one with a chronic disease, loss of a parent, being diagnosed with a chronic condition, vandalism, cheating

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Book Review: The HOOK (The PAN #2) by Jenny Hickman

July 22, 2021May 25, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 350 pages
Author: Jenny Hickman
Publisher: Midnight Tide Publishing
Release Date: March 3rd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Tomorrow isn’t promised, no matter how immortal you think you are.

In the aftermath of Vivienne’s capture, she discovers she’s destined to become one of the forgetful P.A.N. The devastating diagnosis leaves her questioning her relationships—and her place in Neverland. While on her second recruitment mission, she ignores a cardinal rule, and one of her fellow P.A.N. pays the ultimate price for her mistake.

Outrage over the death spurs Lee Somerfield’s growing rebellious faction to fight fire with fire, leaving H.O.O.K. in ashes and Neverland ripped apart from within.

Navigating new love and old secrets, Vivienne must now face the consequences of her actions … and decide if living forever is worth forgetting everything.

INCOMING.

A rant is incoming because I can’t even with this book.

First and foremost THERE WAS NO PLOT. NONE. Nothing happened.

The whole time the book focused on Deacon and Vivienne trying to bang each other but they keep getting interrupted. Or my personal favorite, they would get in a stupid argument and blow up at each other without communicating whatsoever to turn around and get back together within a chapter. AAAAAAAND the MANY instances of CHEATING that was played off as nothing. It was cheating. It should be taken seriously. Goodness gracious the rage I felt was next level.

I just couldn’t handle the level of immaturity Viv and Deacon resonated. They’re older teens (19 and 26). You would think they would be a bit more rational. I’m just begging for a little.

I am definitely not continuing this series. Even if a few side characters were okay and the only redeeming thing about this entire book.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance
Language: a little
Romance: kisses to closed door scenes
Violence: physical altercations, fires, gun violence

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ARC Book Review: The Dragon and the Queen (The Raven and the Dove #3) by Kaitlyn Davis

June 17, 2021May 3, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: TBD pages
Author: Kaitlyn Davis
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: June 21st, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A queen foretold to save the world…

Free from Malek’s clutches, Lyana returns to the world above determined to keep the isles from falling. But in a land where magic is forbidden, convincing the avians to believe in her power takes the one thing she doesn’t have—time. With Xander’s help, she must unravel the puzzle of the rift and gain their trust or lose her home forever.

A dragon in search of his destiny…

Turned into a monster by the king he loathes, Rafe flees Da’Kin. Yet even with the help of his crew, he can’t outrun the new power simmering beneath his skin or the gruesome visions haunting his dreams. A dark spirit calls out to him, and soon he’ll have to answer.

New enemies change the game as the final battle draws near…

Stuck in her spirit form, Cassi is at the mercy of the man she betrayed. Before he wreaks his vengeance, she must tell someone what she witnessed in the sacred nest. A demon walks the earth, an evil no one anticipated. But with all her friendships broken, who among them will believe her?

Prophecies unravel. War arrives. And passions burn, threatening to set the world aflame.

Thank you to the author for an eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own!

LET THERE BE DRAGONS.

Ohhhh I’m pumped for the last book now! Another great read for this series. I am wrapped up in all of these characters and the story.

I love these characters. So much. There’s incredibly growth each time for Lyana, Rafe, Xander and Cassi. Everyone is on their own journey and I love how they criss-cross and support one another. Nobody is always right. Yes, mistakes are made. But wow, do I appreciate the real feel of every one of them.

The only thing I could really ask for is more romance!! It was such a big point initially and now has fallen to the side a bit. Just a dash of a few more quiet moments between my ships would be *chefs kiss*. I want all the happy endings. AND I BETTER SEE THAT IN THE LAST BOOK. Quietly panicking that the last book is going to take one of them.

Diary/Journal aspects are sometimes a miss. Here? Not at all. The addition of journal entries from someone in the past (who I have some theories on now) was just what this needed! It added perfectly to the story and gave a much more well rounded background to how the islands are floating and how they even got there in the first place. I realized I was really caught up in these side characters by the end. That’s how this beautiful writing took me in.

It’s a very action packed novel with plenty of political intrigue. Many angles are being addressed and the desire to save the world is clear. I can’t wait to see how this finale wraps up because I have so many answers I need.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy
Language: very little
Romance: kisses to closed door scenes
Violence: physical altercations, magic, small battle scenes, earthquakes

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Book Review: Holiday Heist (Wayfair Witches #11.5) by A.A. Albright

May 28, 2021October 27, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Paranormal cozy mystery
Length: 237 pages
Author: A.A. Albright
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: November 21st, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

This is a standalone cozy mystery novel, set in the Wayfair Witches world. It can be enjoyed without having read the Wayfair Witches series.

A holiday heist, a powerful child, and a parolee Melissa can’t stand the sight of? It sounds like a recipe for a very Merry Solstice.

The Nemo Foundation’s kids are planning some Solstice shenanigans, but Melissa has no idea what their hijinks might entail. She’s far too busy figuring out why an emaciated wizard was drained by a harpy, and trying to keep a young weredog out of jail. Plus, the Queen of the Faeries has promised three miracles this holiday season – and in order for those three miracles to pass, Melissa must learn to trust someone she hates.

ALL THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT.

This book just shouted HAPPY HOLIDAYS, and I loved it. All the Christmas-time vibes with some magical miracles really melted my heart.

I love that this story had quite a bit of Will in here. I’ve always loved his character and I really needed and appreciated getting more of him in this book. Especially with Melissa. The focus on forgiveness was tender and fit this story perfectly.

This really is the last story [right now?] for this series. It’s a side story that didn’t have a murder mystery this time, but a mystery all the same. We got to know more of the members of Nemo and the great work that Melissa and Miles are accomplishing for and with them.

Heartwarming and a delightful read. I’m glad I took the time to read these side stories as well. They truly only added to the whole Wayfair Witches series.

Overall audience notes: