Tag: kindle unlimited

Book Review: Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout #1) by Lucy Score

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemorary Romance
Length: 572 pages
Author: Lucy Score
Publisher: That’s What She Said Publishing
Release Date: January 13th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Bearded, bad-boy barber Knox prefers to live his life the way he takes his coffee: Alone. Unless you count his basset hound, Waylon.
Knox doesn’t tolerate drama, even when it comes in the form of a stranded runaway bride.

Naomi wasn’t just running away from her wedding. She was riding to the rescue of her estranged twin to Knockemout, Virginia, a rough-around-the-edges town where disputes are settled the old-fashioned way…with fists and beer. Usually in that order.

Too bad for Naomi her evil twin hasn’t changed at all. After helping herself to Naomi’s car and cash, Tina leaves her with something unexpected. The niece Naomi didn’t know she had. Now she’s stuck in town with no car, no job, no plan, and no home with an 11-year-old going on thirty to take care of.

There’s a reason Knox doesn’t do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.

At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.

THIS HAD A HOLD ON ME.

I kept going back and forth on my star rating because I do have some thoughts about this.

4.5 stars for the absolutely grasp this had on me for two days. I didn’t want to do anything else but pick this up and read. The writing style was fantastic and I was very much into this grump and sunshine duo from the first chapter. Not to mention, I laughed many times at the banter and snark between Knox and Naomi. I was very much here for all of the broodiness and protectiveness & bad boyness that Knox brought to the table. And that Naomi learned a lot about herself and to allow others to help her too.

4 stars because I tried so hard to understand and get behind the third act breakup and I just couldn’t reach it. It definitely added drama, but I think the suspense element could have still been there without the break up too. And I did notice it start to feel a bit long winded as well.

OTHERWISE THOUGH. I will without a doubt be picking the new book up. I loved this whole town. The close friendships and rekindling of familial bonds squeezed my heart. I also adored Waylay. She was the best little addition to the book and I want nothing more than to give her the biggest hug.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: very strong (too much in my opinion)
  • Romance: Multiple open; high explicit
  • Violence: moderate
  • Overall audience notes: gun violence, physical altercations, loss of loved ones, substance abuse, parental abandonment, child abuse and neglect, kidnapping, domestic abuse recounted

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Book Review: Luna and the Lie by Mariana Zapata

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 620 pages
Author: Mariana Zapata
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: December 12th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The problem with secrets is that they’re too easy to keep collecting.

Luna Allen has done some things she would rather no one ever know about. She also knows that, if she could go back in time, she wouldn’t change a single thing.

With three sisters she loves, a job she (mostly) adores, and a family built up of friends she’s made over the years, Luna figures everything has worked out the way it was supposed to.

But when one of those secrets involves the man who signs her paycheck, she can’t find it in her to regret it. Despite the fact that he’s not the friendliest man in the world. Or the most patient.

Sometimes there are things you’re better off keeping to yourself.

CONFLICTED.

Okay so I feel like I want to rate this more specifically at somewhere around 3.75. The readability is still amazing. I don’t know what MZ puts in her books but the way I DEVOUR 600 pages is unreal. I love it. The excitement was there too. I wanted to keep going, I wanted to watch this love story unfold, buuuut there were some misses.

I’m one of those who can be picky about pet names. And with the age gap already in play, adding in baby girl as the name just didn’t do it for me. What I did love was the alpha possessiveness and jealousy that Ripley exhibited. I was in the mood for this kind of MMC and it did not disappoint. Every time he showed up you could see me going, YESSSSS! Here for it all. And the sweet ways he would take care of Luna?? Can’t handle. Give it all to me.

The plot has some intrigue and mystery that I liked. There was attention given to the slow unveiling of backgrounds and stories that brought Luna and Rip together. I enjoyed the car shop setting and love that it was a unique set-up compared to most romance books I’ve happened to have read.

Definitely not my favorite MZ book, but still insanely enjoyable and I’m glad to have picked it up. Can’t wait to continue my backlist reading!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: one open door (at end)
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: child abuse (recounted), physical altercations loss of a grandparent

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: July 2023

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SUMMER. And my biggest reading month ever.

**As a little reminder note. Reviews for these books come out over the following months. But consider anything on the Favorites list a must read from me!**

Favorites this month:

  • Windsong Manor
  • The Shards of Ophelia
  • Tower of Dawn
  • Upping the Ante
  • Dark Age
  • The Deal
  • One Kiss Alone
  • Safe Harbor
  • The Magic Of Lemon Drop Pie
  • The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
  • All Alone With You
  • Kingdom of Ash
  • The Bones of Benevolence
  • Glimmers of You
  • The Fake Out
  • Light Bringer
  • Glow of the Everflame

Least favorites:

  • Hideaway
  • House of Striking Oaths
  • Kingdom of Nomads
  • The Phoenix King
  • [Novella] Snapshot by Brandon Sanderson
  • Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder
  • [ARC] Windsong Manor by Julie Wright
  • [Graphic Novel] Dark One by Brandon Sanderson
  • Dark One: Forgotten by Brandon Sanderson
  • [ARC] The Shards of Ophelia (The Curse of Ophelia #2) by Nicole Platania
  • [Reread] Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [Novella] Upping the Ante (Sheet Cake Love Stories) by Emma St. Clair
  • [Reread] Dark Age (Red Rising #5) by Pierce Brown
  • [ALC] The Honeymoon Crashers (The Unhoneymooners #1.5) by Christina Lauren
  • The Deal (Off-Campus #1) by Elle Kennedy
  • [ARC] One Kiss Alone (The Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir #3) by Nichole Van
  • The Queen of Dawn (Shadows and Crowns #5) by S.M. Gaither
  • Safe Harbor (Scoops Series #1) by K. Sinko
  • Sing Me to Sleep (Sing Me to Sleep #1) by Gabi Burton
  • The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden
  • [ARC] Immortal Longings (Flesh and False Gods #1) by Chloe Gong
  • [Reread] The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
  • The Comeback Summer by Ali Brady
  • [ARC] First Impressions of You by Gabriela Graciosa Guedes
  • [ARC] All Alone With You by Amelia Diance Coombs
  • [Reread] Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas
  • Hideaway by Bekah Overbey
  • Garden of the Cursed (Garden of the Cursed #1) by Katy Rose Pool
  • House of Striking Oaths (The Kingdom of Crow #3) by Olivia Wildenstein
  • [Novella] Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
  • Friends Don’t (Fall in Love #1) by Leah Dobrinska
  • A Lady’s Guide to Scandal (A Lady’s Guide #2) by Sophie Irwin
  • The Bones of Benevolence (Benevolence & Blood #1) by Lauren M. Leasure
  • [ALC] Glimmers of You (Lost & Found #3) by Catherine Cowles
  • Play for Me by Libby Hubscher
  • [ARC] The Scarlet Alchemist (The Scarlet Alchemist #1) by Kylie Lee Baker
  • Cupid’s Compass (The Soulmate Seeker Series #1) by Ashley Weiss
  • The Fake Out by Sharon M. Peterson
  • A Kingdom of Nomads (Outcast #2) by S.B. Nova
  • The Hardest Fall by Ella Maise
  • Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino
  • Coach (Treasure State Wildcats #1) by Devney Perry
  • The Bombshell Effect (Washington Wolves #1) by Karla Sorensen
  • [ARC] The Phoenix King (The Ravence Trilogy #1) by Aparna Verma
  • [Gifted] A Royal Competition (Royal Hearts #2) by Amanda Schimmoeller
  • Light Bringer (The Red Rising Saga #6) by Pierce Brown
  • Glow of the Everflame (Kindred’s Curse #2) by Penn Cole
  • Mile High (Windy City #1) by Liz Tomforde
  • Off to the Races (Gold Rush Ranch #1) by Elsie Silver

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Book Review: Echoes of Time (Surviving Time #3) by Calia Read

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Time Travel Romance
Length: 321 pages
Author: Calia Read
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: May 25th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

For Etienne and me, our love has always left a trace. 
It reigns over kingdoms, and rules over time. 
With Etienne now in the present day, the echoes of time grow louder. 
We must face the answers we seek to set things right.
However, we must be incredibly careful. One false move and everything we love will be destroyed.
And this time, could be the end of our surviving trace.
 
Echoes of Time is the epic finale in The Surviving Time Series.

ONE BOOK TOO LONG.

I think this would have been a great duology, but as a trilogy the plot was stretched too thin and this book didn’t have enough substance.

Most of the focus was just on the couple sleeping together? And I already skip over that, and when it really doesn’t feel apart of the plot it gets boring. I LOVE Etienne and Serene. They are fantastic together. I wanted more of them actually working with the overall story. There was another [spoiler redacted] sub-plot I was fine with, yet, once again, it took over too much of the story.

I liked that there were chapters from Nathalie’s perspective. She’s an underrated character and I would love to check out her story too (separate novel!). It also gave another side to the story so that things at least kept moving in some direction.

It was a fast listen, and it did have a good (and wild) ending. It was all satisfying by the last page.

Overall audience notes:

  • Time Travel Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: multiple open door; high explicit
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: a loved one with a traumatic brain injury, physical altercations, murder, weapons violence

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