Tag: kindle unlimited

Book Review: Friendshipped (Getting Shipped #1) by Savannah Scott

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 325 pages
Author: Savannah Scott
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: December 1st, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Can you keep a secret? … I’m in love with my best friend.

There are three things you should know about me.
I hate running. No, really. I only run when someone’s chasing me, and thankfully that’s never happened.
My ideal Friday night includes pizza, The Princess Bride, and dancing with abandon.
And, I’m madly in love with my best friend.
That right there, that’s my secret.

Trevor, and I grew up next door to one another. Yes. He’s the boy next door. Even now, we rent opposite sides of a duplex, and we work across the aisle from one another at the Corn Corners Tribune. Basically, there isn’t a part of my life Trevor hasn’t touched. I take that back. Me. He hasn’t touched me.

He’s made it clear we’re in the friend zone and whatever feelings he had for me were a passing thing for him, while mine keep growing like a Chia pet on a humid summer day in the midwest. Unruly, and apparently pointless.

So, now I’m resigned to get Trevor out of my system once and for all.

If only Trevor would see me as more than a friend … But, unless he shows me otherwise, I’m going to have to do what it takes to move on.

UHM.

I went with with some good hopes on this one. I know the series is overall well loved and I thought it was about time to give it a chance (thank you hoopla for having the audiobooks). Aaaand I’m really hoping the next book is better because I did not connect well with this one.

There was a rampant amount of miscommunication and theatrics that made everything seem a level more dramatic than necessary. I kept waiting to see some character arcs and the more I think about it the more I realize that I don’t think there was actually any. Just a lot of super cliched characters and dynamics that never felt new.

I also didn’t love the way dieting was spoken about. It was handled poorly and didn’t leave a good feeling with me.

I enjoyed the MMC Trevor and loved that it was dual POV. Always my favorite part of a contemporary romance book. There’s some sweet moments and I did like when Trevor and Lexi had quiet moments together. It’s a fast audio read and I will be trying book two.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: dieting and weight commentary

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Vesselless by Cortney L. Winn

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 483 pages
Author: Cortney L. Winn
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s heiress to the throne. The throne her family stole from him.

Nizzara has always been able to perceive spirits better than the average caster. As heiress to the Zarr throne and an avid dueler, she enters a deadly tournament of swords and bonded spirit magic to win the freedom to choose her own suitor. Not wanting to become a power-hungry tyrant like her father, Nizzara is determined to win the tournament without succumbing to the addictive spirit magic she channels or taking a life in the duel ring.

When she finds herself outmatched, Nizzara must choose to bond with Dagen (a powerful spirit) or lose her life in the tournament.

Dagen, the last King of Zarr, was killed by Nizzara’s father ten years ago. Now a half-ghost—able to phase between his human and spirit form—Dagen is stuck in another realm, hunting and ripping wretched souls from their bodies. When his keeper offers him a chance to reclaim his freedom and his kingdom in exchange for Nizzara’s pure soul, Dagen takes the deal.

There’s only one catch: she must freely give it to him by the tournament’s end or his own soul is forfeit.

Fourth Wing meets The Serpent of Wings of Night in the first instalment of this action packed romantasy as they deal with the bargain hanging over their heads. Family, love, power and deception collide as the characters need to make decisions that could change their realm forever.

THE VIBES WERE THERE.

I am a fantasy reader with a penchant for world building alongside my romance. That’s the only place where this book lost me. I am confused by the fact that there were cars and guns? Not unheard of in fantasy, of course, but I felt like there were different pieces throughout the book where I just needed more explanation.

The storyline is good though. I thought the male POV had a very unique dynamic and I liked the crossing worlds aspects. There’s some good slow burn chemistry between the two leads that I steadily fell in love with. I enjoyed all of the action and the competition. I’m hopeful about where all of the open threads could go in the next book.

An enjoyable read and one I would recommend. It didn’t give me Fourth Wing or Serpents vibes (as mentioned in the summary) so I would be weary of going in thinking the book is along those lines or anything.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate-high
  • Romance: 1 open door; low innuendo
  • Violence: moderate-high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: physical abuse, near death experiences, executions, drugging and sexual assault

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Fall of the Horizon (Dusk and Dawn #1) by Jessica J. Ayala

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 650 pages
Author: Jessica J. Ayala
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: February 13th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The War of the Skies is over, the gods are gone, and the new world has begun . . .

Zara Santos is the adopted daughter of the Ikarrian king and mercenary of her kingdom’s guild, though throughout the Continent of Ribera she is known as the Rogue—the High King’s personal assassin. Every hunting season she kills in the hope to one day be free of her shackles. When Zara receives a unique assignment to hunt down the mysterious leader of the shadow markets, she will do whatever it takes to gain her freedom.

The war has left Ronan Menodora a shadow of the male he once was. The archangel grapples with the underworld to provide for those he cares about as retribution for the failures of his past. When various cities are destroyed, their citizens disappearing, he makes a dreadful discovery that threatens the survival of his business and seeks the help of the infamous mercenary.

As the unlikely pair delve deeper into the strange happenings of the Continent, along with the help of their close allies, rumors rise of the return of the Three Sun Gods—the main Primordials believed to be long lost to the mortal world—and the mystery behind the missing people may pose a greater threat than anticipated.

Fall of the Horizon is the first book in the Dusk and Dawn adult high fantasy series, and explores injustice, emotional turmoil, self-discovery, and romance.

GREAT READ.

This one took some time to grow on me but once it did I was hooked. There’s a bit of a slow start and some info dumping that happens initially, then the story settles and you can really dive deep with the plot and characters.

I adored that this had multiple POV. I loved that two of the main characters were sisters who cared for each other and loved all the good and bad within each other. There was so much growth from Zara and Daria throughout the book that I very much would love to see where they go in book two.

And the romances?? I loved how they contrasted with the darkness of the book. They were much softer and subtler. The banter and pining was top tier and I loved the reveals and twists from the romances too. This had my favorite kind of slow burn where I get a chance to love the character separately and the chemistry they have between them feels naturally devloped.

I am intrigued by the ending and it was a fantastic cliff hanger. I am absolutely going to need book two and look forward to another book in this world.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2-3 open; low innuendo
  • Violence: high

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: A Class of Her Own (The Thornback Society #2) by Aspen Hadley

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 216 pages
Author: Aspen Hadley
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: December 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Meredith Atwood has been described as a lot of things.

Her friends call her determined, strong, and dedicated. Her enemies, well, their words are a little less flattering. But, Meredith doesn’t have time to worry about appearances, especially not when she finds herself locked in a life or death battle with her new HOA president – a man, incidentally, who didn’t even want the job that should have been hers.

Brooks VanOrman doesn’t have a lot of time or interest in fighting battles. However, when he finds himself unwittingly in the position of HOA president, he realizes he’s going to have to start caring, and soon. To complicate matters, his neighbor – the feisty, dark-haired woman of his nightmares – refuses to follow the rules and he’s the one called in to enforce them.

It’s an instant clash of wills.

Only the more Brooks gets to know Meredith, the more he realizes that there’s a lot more to the fierce warrior than meets the eye.

A Class of Her Own is a closed-door, kissing only, sweet and clean romance with all the swoon but no explicit content.

TEARS.

Uh, this made me tear up a whole bunch at the end so I gave it five stars and this is how my logic works.

I loved this story. I will say it did lean a little more women’s fiction than I was expecting when I picked it up but there was a lot of goodness in that side of the storytelling. I loved Meredith. I could relate to her on multiple facets. I think that’s what really got me. I understood her need for control and rules and some kind of a map to feel secure.

Enter in Brooks. This man is superior. I could not get enough of the way he handled everything. There was so much respect and caring for Meredith’s feelings while also voicing his own. I like that he didn’t hold back, and still gave space when needed. I loved watching this relationship come together and would have loved having even more romance throughout.

The friend group is great, the holiday antics were fun and it’s a pretty quick book to fly through. I can’t wait to read the next story.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of loss of a mother, an absentee father

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph