Book Review: Scales of Ash & Smoke (Ash & Smoke #1) by Emily L. Schneider

July 26, 2023August 9, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 310 pages
Author: Emily L. Schneider
Publisher: Magic Keepers Press
Release Date: October 5th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She lived her whole life enslaved to the dragons.
But now she’s one of them.
Seventeen-year-old Kaida, a human, has spent her entire life enslaved to the dragons who slaughtered half the human population a thousand years ago. She is forced to serve her ruthless Master, Eklos, until one deadly summer day when the Prince of Elysia saves her life.
Prince Tarrin steals her away to the Royal Palace, shocking Kaida when he reveals that she is mutator formarum.
He promises her safety, but when they uncover a dangerous conspiracy to rid Elysia of the Royal Family, she begins to question how safe she truly is.
And when desire blooms between Kaida and Tarrin, in the midst of fighting for their lives, she must choose whether to save the very creature she swore to hate, or allow him to perish…
And destroy her own heart.

IT WAS OKAY.

Maybe this is better for a younger audience? I don’t know, things didn’t hit all the way for me. Lets get into it.

I am ALWAYS here for a marriage of convenience trope. What I didn’t quite get behind is how quickly the enemies were apparently lovers? For a fantasy that tops out at 300 pages I can see the difficulty in formulating the necessary depth in connections and relationships needed to fully be on board with what was happening.

There’s some decent world building. I didn’t feel confused by the set-up or how the magic worked. It wasn’t fully defined, but at least easy to follow. I loved the concept of dragon shifters and thought that was executed well.

This tried to be dark at times, and while things that were brought up were definitely dark, I don’t know that it fit? The whole overall vibe of the book + what it was trying to accomplish kind of clashed for me. Once again I think it goes back to the depth of connections I was looking for.

I won’t be continuing this series at this time! As it isn’t bringing anything new that I want to pursue.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance
Language: a little
Romance: kisses
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: war themes, executions, torture, descriptive and graphic violence, weapons and physical violence, loss of loved ones

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ARC Book Review: All Alone With You by Amelia Diane Coombs

July 25, 2023July 14, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Amelia Diane Coombs
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Release Date: July 25th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

HBO Max’s Hacks gets a romantic twist in the vein of Jenn Bennett in this swoon-worthy novel about a standoffish teen girl whose loner status gets challenged by a dynamic elderly woman and a perpetually cheerful boy.

Eloise Deane is the worst and doesn’t care who knows it. She’s grumpy, prefers to be alone, and is just slogging through senior year with one goal: get accepted to USC and move to California. So when her guidance counselor drops the bombshell that to score a scholarship she’ll desperately need, her applications require volunteer hours, Eloise is up for the challenge. Until she’s paired with LifeCare, a volunteer agency that offers social support to lonely seniors through phone calls and visits. Basically, it’s a total nightmare for Eloise’s anxiety.

Eloise realizes she’s made a huge mistake—especially when she’s paired with Austin, the fellow volunteer who’s the sunshine to her cloudy day. But as Eloise and Austin work together to keep Marianne Landis—the mysterious former frontwoman of the 1970s band the Laundromats—company, something strange happens. She actually…likes Marianne and Austin? Eloise isn’t sure what to do with that, especially when her feelings toward Austin begin to blur into more-than-friends territory.

And when ex-girlfriends, long-buried wounds, and insecurities reappear, Eloise will have a choice to make: go all in with Marianne and Austin or get out before she gets hurt.

Thank you to Book Club Favorites and Simon and Schuster for the gifted copy.

REACHED MY SOUL.

I know that depression and anxiety have many, many different representations. And I gotta say, I loved the way this book portrayed them. As someone with both, I thought it was a great representation. Realistic, frustrating, and just doing your best.

The dynamics between Austin and Eloise were PERFECT. Reverse grumpy x sunshine at its finest. I loved the way they balanced each other out and the way they went from strangers to friends to having a relationship was so sweet. Filled with some teenage drama and a little bit of angst, I thought it was great for the YA category (and there’s only kisses!).

I adored the plot and the growth I saw throughout the book from Eloise. I really felt so much of what she was going through and the doubt that anxiety creates. I loved Marianne and learning her story and just how this entire cast functioned together.

It was a great read. I have no major complaints and this is my new favorite book by this author!

Overall audience notes:

Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Language: strong (I will say it’s a bit strong for a YA book)
Romance: kisses
Trigger/Content Warnings: depression and social anxiety depictions, loss of a father (side character, mentioned), stroke

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Book Review: Tokyo Dreaming (Tokyo Ever After #2) by Emiko Jean

July 7, 2023August 1, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Emiko Jean
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Release Date: May 31st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When Japanese-American Izumi Tanaka learned her father was the Crown Prince of Japan, she became a princess overnight. Now, she’s overcome conniving cousins, salacious press, and an imperial scandal to finally find a place she belongs. She has a perfect bodyguard turned boyfriend. Her stinky dog, Tamagotchi, is living with her in Tokyo. Her parents have even rekindled their college romance and are engaged. A royal wedding is on the horizon! Izumi’s life is a Tokyo dream come true.

Only…

Her parents’ engagement hits a brick wall. The Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage citing concerns about Izumi and her mother’s lack of pedigree. And on top of it all, her bodyguard turned boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship. At the threat of everything falling apart, Izumi vows to do whatever it takes to help win over the council. Which means upping her newly acquired princess game.

But at what cost? Izumi will do anything to help her parents achieve their happily ever after, but what if playing the perfect princess means sacrificing her own? Will she find a way to forge her own path and follow her heart?

Return to Tokyo for a royal wedding in Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Dreaming, the sequel to the Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Tokyo Ever After

THE FIRST WAS BEST.

This was cute, don’t get me wrong. But I wish that the first was maybe a touch longer and that this book was nixed.

I didn’t love the drama between Izumi and her love interest. It basically created a filler point to add in a LOVE TRIANGLE that wasn’t necessary and let me feeling eh about the whole thing. Though I admit, I’m a sucker for a good grand gesture and this one was really sweet. Izumi nailed it and I am smitten all over again.

The story was filled with a lot of great coming of age discussions. Growing up and finding the right path. Not getting lost in the shuffle of a life someone else wants for you, etc. I adored all of these conversations and they felt very appropriate for the YA audience (even though we were dealing with royals). There’s good friendship learning moments, tough topics with parents and more. All things I really enjoy about the genre.

A solid read, and a great audiobook. I just think I was particular to the first book (of which I gave five stars). But I’m happy in the end with this duo and look forward to what Emiko Jean writes next!

Overall audience notes:

YA Romance
Language: a little
Romance: one closed door
Trigger/Content Warnings: sexism, classism, panic disorders and panic attacks, bullying

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ARC Book Review: Borrow My Heart (Borrow My Heart #1) by Kasie West

June 20, 2023June 19, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: June 13th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When a girl overhears a guy getting verbally destroyed by his friends for being catfished, she jumps in to save the day—and pretends to be his online crush. A young adult romance from the critically acclaimed author of Places We’ve Never Been.

Wren is used to being called a control freak. She doesn’t care; sticking to the list of rules she created for herself helps her navigate life. But when a cute guy named Asher walks through the door of her neighborhood coffee shop, the rulebook goes out the window.

Asher is cute, charming . . . and being catfished by his online crush. So Wren makes an uncharacteristically impulsive decision—she pretends to be the girl he’s waiting for to save him from embarrassment. Suddenly she’s fake-dating a boy she knows nothing about. And it’s . . . amazing.

It’s not long before Asher has her breaking even more of her own rules. But will he forgive her when he finds out she’s not who she says she is? Wren’s not so sure. . . . After all, rules exist for a reason.

Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook.

GREW ON ME.

I admittedly got into this and realized that maybe this book wasn’t going to work for me. Luckily, by the end I was pretty charmed and at least appreciated that this fit into a true young adult category and that that audience could enjoy it.

All of the dog content was adorable. I loved the shelter work and seeing Bean find his new home. The romance was sweet. I thought Asher was the cutest cinnamon roll and he and Wren got along well. There is a third act break-up, but I felt more forgiving in age context and I liked how both side apologized and made amends.

It’s a short book that’s light and fluffy but also filled with good themes and conversations. I didn’t LOVE all of the Tiktok content (that might be my age showing). All in all, maybe I’m not past my Kasie West era…yet.

Overall audience notes: