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Book Review: Heavenly Bodies (Heavenly Bodies #1) by Imani Erriu

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 620 pages
Author: Imani Erriu
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: February 14th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

“I defy the stars.”

In a world where no entities exist but the Stars, cruel and merciless gods that watch over the world, Elara has been cursed by fate. A prophecy that promises she will fall for a Star, and it will kill them both.
But when one descends to wreak havoc on Elara’s Kingdom, she is forced to flee into the arms of her enemy in the neighbouring country.
As she learns more about her own magic, and the depth of the Stars’ deceit, she also finds herself learning more about the country she is forced to take refuge in, and the enemy prince forced to train her into a weapon.
Something dark brews within her, a power made of night and shadows that begs to be broken free.

DO I READ BOOK TWO?

I’m so conflicted. I’m aware I gave this four stars, but it’s a confusing thought process to get here.

I thought that this was an easy read. It’s 600 pages and honestly, most of it flies right by. I love that. I loved the found family aspects and the side characters shown well. The romance grew on me and I felt very much invested by the end.

BUT. Okay, WHERE WAS THE PLOT? I know the whole idea is that she’s been ousted from her kingdom and needs to win it back, but that never really got going?? I can’t believe I’ll say this, it felt like there was too much romance and the rest of the story to fill everything out was missing. The antagonist was weak and I wasn’t connected with the heart of Elara and Enzo’s character arcs. [I did love Enzo though].

Now the meddling gods were great. That is one of my favorite fantasy tropes. And even when you could see it coming I loved the way the fated romance played out. I’m genuinely curious what will happen next, and at the same time, not sure I should keep going?!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3-4 open; high explicit
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: torture, loss of life, murder, weapons violence, magical violence, nightmares, child abuse, executions

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Book Review: Emerald of the Sea by Kimberly Pearl

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 330 pages
Author: Kimberly Pearl
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: July 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Backstabbing pirates. Extravagant dinner parties. Falling in love with the one man who’s out of reach. Seventeen-year-old Emma doesn’t know who she is or where she came from. The not-exactly-legal merchant ship she was raised on is the only home she’s ever known, and she’s had enough of the captain’s lies. Her plans to break free from her three-masted prison are thrown off course by a deadly mutiny, and she finds herself on the run with a target on her back. A charming naval officer becomes her unlikely companion, and though they’re constantly running from danger, Emma is even more afraid of the feelings she’s developing for a man she’ll likely never see again—if she can ever make it home. Maggie’s only friend in the world is the kitchen boy who works in her manor. When Maggie’s mother dies, she’s left to be raised by a controlling father whose only concern is marrying her off to the highest bidder. But when Maggie returns from finishing school, she finds that the kitchen boy isn’t a boy anymore, and he’s starting to feel like much more than just a childhood best friend. How can she choose a husband from the upper crust of society when her heart lies with the boy downstairs? When Emma’s and Maggie’s fates collide, the secrets from the past begin to unravel. But when danger finds them, will they regret pulling the thread?

FANTASTIC STARTER.

I am 100% invested in continuing this series. I loved how the dual POV was written for this book and seeing how the story unfolded. I kept having many different thoughts on how it would all come together and let’s just say I was blindsided on many fronts and I LOVE when a book can do that.

I love all of these characters (and I’m purposely trying to stay vague because I think this will be best to go in blind if you can) and feel emotionally attached to them. I NEED ANSWERS. This was a big high seas adventure with plenty of action and some really sweet moments too.

For a short fantasy I think not having a magic system worked as a strong positive. You get the world building that’s necessary but I wasn’t left wanting with explanations of other things. I look forward to seeing the world expand in the next book.

NEED THE NEXT BOOK.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate – high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping, weapons violence, ship wrecks, near death experiences, loss of life

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Book Review: Properly Kissed (Bradwell Brothers #0.5) by Kasey Stockton

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Regency Romance Novella
Length: 128 pages
Author: Kasey Stockton
Publisher: Golden Owl Press
Release Date: April 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Freshly out of mourning, Jane Palmer’s final act of love for her father will be to fulfill the marriage contract he signed before his death and become engaged to Lord Hammel. With her family’s annual house party on the horizon, her course is set. The only complication: the man she has secretly loved her whole life, Ewan Lennox, will also be in attendance.

Ewan’s never shown any indication he reciprocates Jane’s feelings—until this visit. When Ewan declares his intention to fight for her hand in marriage, it seems she has no choice but to keep him at arms length in order to fulfill her father’s dying wishes. As Jane’s resolve crumbles, she must determine if following her heart is worth the risk of losing her home, her fortune, and everything her family holds dear.

LOOOOOVED.

This is how you do it folks. This is how you write a beautiful and swoony novella. I’m so happy I circled back to reading this because it did not disappoint in the slightest.

The connection between Jane and Ewan was amazing. I felt like I had known them already. Ewan is full of absolute SWOON and had many quotable lines that left me in a puddle. I enjoyed the story and pacing worked perfectly.

There’s great characters, romance, family moments and more. I thought it set the stage really well for the rest of the series (I’ve read all but the last). Don’t skip out on this one!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency Romance Novella
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: January 2024

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New Year, New Books!

I was having a slower reading month and then the Improbable Meet-Cute series came out and changed what my month looked like. A pretty good month, but not as high as I was hoping for, ratings wise.

Favorites this month:

  • The Frozen River
  • Sadie and the Bad Boy Billionaire
  • The Ever King
  • Oceans of Sand
  • House of Sky and Breath
  • A Story Spun in Scarlet
  • The Anthropocene Reviewed
  • A Heart Sufficient
  • Say You’ll Be Mine
  • Worst Wingman Ever
  • An Improper Agreement
  • Ashes of You
  • The Game of Hearts
  • Wish You Weren’t Here
  • The Rom Con

Least favorites:

  • In a Not So Perfect World
  • Royal Valentine
  • The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
  • But He’s My One Regret (But He’s a Carter Brother #2) by Annah Conwell
  • Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden
  • [ARC] Sadie and the Bad Boy Billionaire (Oakley Island #3) Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor
  • Brisingr (The Inheritance Cycle #3) by Christopher Paolini
  • Secrets and Suitors by Joanna Barker
  • The Every King (The Ever Seas #1) by L.J. Andrews
  • The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo
  • [ARC] Where You Belong (The Abandoned Brothers #2) by Stacy Williams
  • [ARC] In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati Alexander
  • Oceans of Sand by Jessica Flory
  • The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
  • Dukes and Dekes (Chawton Falls in Love #1) by Torie Jean
  • [ARC] To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods (To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods #1) by Molly X. Chang
  • [Reread] House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2) by Sarah J. Maas
  • Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck
  • [ARC] An Unexpected Roomie (Love Tucson #3) by Laura Langa
  • [ALC] The Search Party by Hannah Richell
  • [ARC] A Story Spun in Scarlet (Tales of Wonder and Woe #1) by Renee Dugan
  • The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
  • Drinker of Ink by Shannon Castleton
  • The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore
  • [ALC] The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves
  • Love Redesigned (Lakefront Billionaires #1) by Lauren Asher
  • [ARC] A Heart Sufficient (The Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir #4) by Nichole Van
  • [ARC] Champion of Sorrows (Thieve of Sorrows #2) by Kristen M. Long
  • The Huntress by Kate Quinn
  • Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar
  • [Novella] The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet-Cute #1) by Christina Lauren
  • [Novella] Worst Wingman Ever (The Improbable Meet-Cute #2) by Abby Jimenez
  • An Improper Agreement (Improper Agreements #1) by Audra Wells
  • [Novella] Rosie and the Dreamboat (The Improbable Meet-Cute #3) by Sally Thorne
  • [ARC] The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
  • [ALC] Ashes of You (Lost & Found #5) by Catherine Cowles
  • [ARC] Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice (Finlay Donovan #4) by Elle Cosimano
  • On Wings of Ash and Dust (On Wings of Ash and Dust #1-6) by Brittany Wang
  • [Novella] Drop, Cover, and Hold On (The Improbable Meet-Cute #4) by Jasmine Guillory
  • [Novella] With Any Luck (The Improbable Meet-Cute #5) by Ashley Poston
  • [Novella] Royal Valentine (The Improbable Meet-Cute #6) by Sariah Wilson
  • [ARC] The Game of Hearts (The Otherworlds #2) by Courtney Millecam
  • Into the Sunken City by Dinesh Thiru
  • [ARC] Wish You Weren’t Here by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
  • The Rom Con by Devon Daniels

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