Tag: magical realism

Book Review: With a Little Luck (Fortuna Beach #2) by Marissa Meyer

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: YA Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 368 pages
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: February 13th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

After being magically gifted with incredible luck, a boy discovers this gift just may be a curse when it comes to love, in this YA novel by #1 New York Times -bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

Jude is determined to fly under the radar. He just wants to draw his comics, host regular D&D night with his friends, work at his parents’ vinyl record store, and escape high school as unscathed as possible. That is, until the night he comes across a mysterious twenty-sided dice and finds himself inexplicably gifted with a bout of supernatural good luck.

Suddenly, everything Jude has ever wanted is within reach. His first art submission is accepted to his favorite fanzine. He helps his friend’s song become a finalist in a songwriting competition. And he’s the 100th caller to a local radio contest, winning him a pair of coveted concert tickets, which he uses to ask out the popular girl he’s been crushing on since elementary school. For a few blissful weeks, he feels invincible.

But when he loses the magic dice at a local music festival, his luck takes a turn for the worse. He struggles to reclaim his good fortune while fighting off long-buried feelings for his best friend―who is definitely not the girl he’s supposed to be in love with. Can Jude risk stepping into the spotlight long enough to win the true girl of his dreams? Or is he doomed to be unlucky in love forever?

IT WAS ALRIGHT.

Friends to lovers is a hit or miss trope for me. And this was my least favorite way of handling the situation. Jude spent most of the book focused on another girl and dating her, etc. rather than his long time best friend where there’s clearly something there.

I adored Jude’s family and all of his sisters. Even more so that there were active parents here. The clueless/no consequence parent trope feels kind of old to me and I appreciate seeing parents who participate in their children’s lives. The setting is great, I loved all of the music content. There’s also a bunch of D&D matters too. I liked it, but the tangents into “fantasy stories” that Jude had created as dungeon master took me out of the book and didn’t add to the plot.

The magical realism aspects were good, subtle and worked well within the story. I liked the overall themes and it’s a good read for a younger audience.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult contemporary romance + magical realism
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses

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ARC Book Review: Petals and Plot Twists (Only Magic in the Building) by Jenny Proctor

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 260 pages
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 19th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Unlucky in love Sophie Stewart might need a miracle to find her one true love…or maybe just a little bit of magic.

Sophie Stewart knows a lot about plants. The rooftop garden she tends and beautifies is ample evidence of that. What she doesn’t know is anything about love, not with her long track record of always picking the wrong guy.

But then a mystery flower pops up in her garden—a flower that only blooms in the presence of true love.

Never one to shy away from a little magic, Sophie convinces her best friend, Peter, to help her use the flower to find her soulmate.

But after an unexpected kiss with the one man she never thought she’d fall for, Sophie starts to wonder if she’s looking for love in all the wrong places.

The flower has a plan, but only Sophie can decide if she wants to trust it or take fate into her own hands.

Best friends turn to lovers in this heartwarming romantic comedy about love and choice and making your own destiny.

Petals and Plot Twists is a standalone book in the Only Magic in the Building series. These closed door, whimsical romance books are all set in the same historic building, which has a habit of playing matchmaker with its residents. There are light magical elements, but no spells, shifters, or dark magic of any kind.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

A SWEET STORY.

I enjoyed this one y’all! It’s a sweet friends to lovers. Bonus points for not having flashback chapters. I enjoyed both Sophie and Peter for the main characters. Peter was a cinnamon roll soul who I just wanted to see be happy and Sophie had a lot of character growth to conquer, and bless her, she got there.

I didn’t love that the whimsical aspect of this book (the love flower) seemed to create distance between the couple rather than brining them together. I appreciated how it was handled during the third act and the conclusion, I just wish there had been a less miscommunication about it for the rest of the book.

The kissing moments were FANTASTIC. Jenny Proctor writes some of the swooniest kisses and I loved getting those moments. There’s an easy rapport between Peter and Sophie that lends to how long they have been friends and I loved seeing Sophie finally realize what has been in front of her for so long.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: The Cupid Chronicles (Only Magic in the Building) by Courtney Walsh

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Courtney Walsh
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 12th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Some love stories are written . . . this one is magically delivered.

Iris Ellington isn’t looking for love. Not even a little bit. With a long list of failed relationships behind her, she’s decided to reinvent herself as a person who doesn’t fall head over heels on the first date.

New town, new job, new Iris.

But someone—or something—has other plans.

When her neighbor’s newspaper lands in front of her door, Iris has no choice but to return it. And when she does, she comes face to face with a ridiculously handsome but very grumpy chef who all but slams the door in her face.

Matteo Morgan just wants to be left alone. He’s loved and lost and has zero interest in ever doing that again. Which is why it makes no sense that The Serendipity’s magical newspaper has decided to turn him into an unwilling Cupid. Matchmaking is hardly in his wheelhouse.

And yet, for the last three years, that’s exactly what he’s done. And he’s always done it alone.

Until now.

When the newspaper pulls his bubbly neighbor into its matchmaking schemes, Matteo has no choice but to go along with it, hoping that maybe—finally—he can pass Cupid’s bow and arrow on to her.

Thrown together by fate, they must navigate the newspaper’s increasingly absurd demands while trying to resist the undeniable spark between them.

Will Iris melt the ice around Matteo’s heart and embrace the magic? Or will Matteo scare her off with his grumpy demeanor and ruin any chance of happiness? In a building where anything is possible, Iris and Matteo might just find that the greatest magic of all is finding love when they least expect it.

HELLO TEARS.

I am not someone who generally cries while reading. But this one brought tears to my eyes because your girl has an anxious soft spot for plots with a widow. Some of those closing scenes made me a mess of feelings. HOW DARE YOU COURTNEY.

Not to mention the others themes throughout of finding joy again, connecting with those around you and helping others are magnetic. This leans slightly more fiction than full blown romance and I hardly noticed because of how beautifully crafted this story was. It grew on me and as the pages went on I was attached to every single character.

I adored Matteo. I adored Iris. I loved the slow burn strangers to friends to lovers. It was everything they both needed to realize that they are in the long haul together. Covering grief and pain and feeling like you’re just too much. I just loved it so much. Endearing characters, raw emotions and a gentle romance.

Overall audience notes:

  • Magical realism + contemporary romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Content Warnings: loss of a spouse (recounted), grief depiction

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ARC Book Review: One More Wish (Sugar Valley #2) by Lindsey Lanza

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 357 pages
Author: Lindsey Lanza
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 18th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Always be careful what you wish for.

Maya Bloom has a secret.
For as long as she can remember, all her wishes have come true. One quick plea to the universe, and whatever she wants is hers. The they always backfire.
Which is why Maya is done wishing. Well, until her wedding day when she’s in desperate need of the truth.
And when it feels like her whole life is imploding, she makes the split-second decision to run to Vermont and be with her best friend, Ellie.

Liam Harley has a problem.
He’s been living his best single dad life in small town Vermont, but he can’t seem to forget the past. Not his last job as a Michelin star chef, not his night owl lifestyle, and especially not that night two years ago when he met Maya Bloom.
When Maya shows up in his new haven of Sugar Valley, he wonders if he’ll get a second chance with the woman who’s been haunting his dreams.
Unfortunately for him, she has no idea who he is.

One More Wish is a small-town romance about the power of found families, the magic of finding your soulmate, and believing in the impossible.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

SWEET & SPICY.

I love the way Lindsey Lanza writes romances y’all. And even though they are spicy, I love the way that is approached too. It feels genuine to the romance and progression of the story and I love how close it brings the characters together. I adored this tender romance. It doesn’t have a big complicated plot, it’s just two people who found each other…again.

The magical realism aspects were just right. I’m hit or miss on them and I liked the little dash Maya’s ability gave this story. And I appreciated how it connected with life and all of its ups and downs. The chronic illness representation is, as always, amazing. It’s eye opening and raw. Combining that with a beautiful and strong support system really squeezes my heart.

I looooved Liam. He’s a walking green flag. I loved seeing his growth, as well as Maya’s. I loved how they approached hard conversations, worked together, and did their best to communicate big emotions. I clearly am in love with every character in this series and it was great being back in Sugar Valley.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild – moderate
  • Romance: 3-4 open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: chronic illness (lupus, type 1 diabetes), pregnancy complications (side character)

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