Tag: prh audio

ARC Book Review: Book Boyfriend by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

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Rating: ★★★★
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Release Date: February 25th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Devoted fangirl meets hesitant fanboy in this swoony contemporary love letter to readers who adore fantasy worlds, from the beloved authors of The Breakup Tour.
 
Jennifer Worth lives to escape into the world of her favorite romantasy series Elytheum Courts, where the romance is sweeping and the men are brave, chivalrous . . . and winged. Newly single and craving connection,she travels to an immersive fan experience celebrating all things Elytheum, only to see the last face she expected—Scott Daniels, her work nemesis, whose disinterest in Jennifer’s favorite series and standoffishness have made their publishing jobs feel like a feuding fae court.
 
Except the Scott she encounters there, in his secondhand cosplay outfit, is . . . different. Swaggering, flirtatious, confident. Unlucky in romance himself and inspired by Jennifer’s love for the swoonworthy men of Elytheum, Scott is determined to remake himself into the perfect book boyfriend.
 
Jennifer has no interest in helping the man who vexes her every workday and dismisses her fictional fantasies, but as the immersive convention activities force them together, they’re surprised to discover magic like none Jennifer has ever read about. But is enemies-to-lovers romance only for books, or can Jennifer and Scott bring the trope to life?

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the eARC and PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook.

WELL.

Alright, I’ve been a pretty steady fan of EW & ASB adult romance books. They usually cover some good themes and have a swoon factor I enjoy. It’s also nice that they are on the lower end of the spice scale so it’s not in your face throughout.

I loved the initial idea with this book and how it felt like a love letter to fantasy books (and readers in general). I loved the immersion set up and I would absolutely attend one of these events if I could.

What kind of lost me was that it didn’t feel romantic. For a book centered around a fantasy romance and finding romance, etc. I did not feel that from the characters. The clue hunting plot (+ some side characters) was very much center stage and I wish it would have focused more on Jennifer and Scott. Not to mention, the third act was ridiculous.

I did love the audiobook and thought that the production and narration was great. If you want to read this book, definitely recommend that route.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 2 open door

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ARC Book Review: Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth #2) by Kristen Ciccarelli

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: February 18th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

A WITCH…
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER…
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE…
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli’s Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.

Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and Wednesday Books for the eARC.

ABSOLUTELY YES.

I have been begging for some of these sequels to hold up and blessed be, REBEL WITCH did just that. I loved the audiobook narration and was smitten from the get-go between Rune and Gideon. This is why I love enemies to lovers. Hot dang these two BROUGHT IT. The sense of impending doom and I must betray you and everything in between.

The plot had some tiny things that made me quirk my head to the side but not enough for me to knock off any star power. I think this book did a great job on expounding where it needed to in order to build the world and magic system better while also bringing the storylines to a successful close. Things wrapped up where they should and I loved the little epilogue too.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 1 briefly vague open door
  • Violence: moderate

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ARC Book Review: Dating and Dragons (Dungeons and Drama #2) by Kristy Boyce

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Kristy Boyce
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: December 31st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the author of the nationally bestselling Dungeons and Drama comes another gaming romance that’s sure to win you over!

Quinn Norton is starting over at a new high school and hopes that joining a D&D game will be the trick to making friends. The plan sounds even better when she’s invited into a group that includes Logan Weber, the cute and charming guy she met on her first day of class. But this isn’t your average D&D campaign— this group livestreams their games and enforces strict rules: no phones allowed, and no dating other group members.

Quinn is willing to accept the rules, even if it makes Logan off-limits. And she quickly learns that doing so won’t be a problem, since Logan goes from charismatic to insufferable as soon as she agrees to join. As their bickering—and bantering—intensifies inside and outside the game, Quinn can’t help wondering: Is Logan’s infuriating behavior a smokescreen for hidden feelings? Quinn is risking it all, and the twenty-sided dice are rolling!

Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and Get Underlined for my gifted copy.

ANOTHER CUTE READ.

These just make me smile. They have that true high school quality (and as an adult I can definitely get frustrated but it feels very true to the characters so it’s fine, just mentioning) and I love that I could actually hand this off to someone in the YA age group without an issue.

The romance is cute and has a little bit of a forbidden vibe to it. There’s some sweet and swoony lines and a whole lot of moments for connection and interaction. But I also really loved that the main theme centered more on found family and finding your people. Those who love and support you. And I am always in love with a supportive and caring family too.

The audiobook was great. I loved the narrator. It’s a fast and light read. Plenty of D&D content if that’s your thing and I’m happy with another book that made me smile.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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ARC Book Review: The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Horror + Historical Fiction
Length: 384 pages
Author: C.J. Cooke
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: October 8th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A mother must fight for her daughter’s life in this fierce and haunting tale of witchcraft and revenge from the author of A Haunting in the Arctic.

Clem gets a call that is every mother’s worst nightmare. Her nineteen-year-old daughter Erin is unconscious in the hospital after a hiking trip with her friends on the remote Orkney Islands that met a horrifying end, leaving her boyfriend dead and her best friend missing. When Erin wakes, she doesn’t recognize her mother. And she doesn’t answer to her name, but insists she is someone named Nyx.

Clem travels the site of her daughter’s accident, determined to find out what happened to her. The answer may lie in a dark secret in the history of the Orkneys: a woman wrongly accused of witchcraft and murder four centuries ago. Clem begins to wonder if Erin’s strange behavior is a symptom of a broken mind, or the effects of an ancient curse?

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy (Berkley Partner) and PRH Audio for the audiobook.

WELL THIS FREAKED ME OUT A BIT.

I am in my horror reading era apparently and have found myself enjoying another one! This went back and forth between past and present and I liked waiting for that moment of collision where all the pieces made sense. This is definitely on the darker side and doesn’t shy away from some awful things that made it hard to listen to at times.

The pacing did drag somewhat and I spent a lot of time waiting for the other foot to drop. I did like the atmosphere and it is perfect for the spooky season. It covers a lot of ground and leaves you feeling haunted.

Overall audience notes:

  • Horror Historical Fiction
  • Language: moderate
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: persecution of women (including torture, false imprisonment), abuse, cult behaviors, loss of life, murder, extensive burn wounds

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