Tag: young adult romance

ARC Book Review: Starling by Isabel Strychacz

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Paranormal Romance
Length: 448 pages
Author: Isabel Strychacz
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Release Date: November 9th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Edward Scissorhands meets When the Moon Was Ours in this enchanting, lushly romantic novel about two teen sisters who fight to protect the mysterious stranger who literally fell from the stars and into their backyard.

Strange things have always happened in the small town of Darling…

​Yet Delta Wilding and her sister Bee are familiar with the peculiar. Raised by an eccentric father always on the hunt for the spectacular, they’re used to following weather patterns that twirl onto strange paths, a car that refuses to play any artist but one, and living in a sentient house with whims of its own. But when a mysterious boy falls from the stars into the woods behind the Wilding sisters’ farmhouse, nothing can prepare them for the extraordinary turn their lives are about to take.

Extraordinary, and dangerous.

Starling Rust is not from this world and his presence in the Wilding home brings attention. As the terrified locals, Delta’s ex-boyfriend, and the unscrupulous mayor descend onto the Wilding’s home, both Delta and her sister go to incredible lengths to protect their mystical visitor—especially as Delta’s growing feelings for Starling could prove the greatest risk of all.

Filled with atmospheric prose and lush and vivid descriptions, Starling has the spectacular waiting with every flip of the page.

Thank you to the author for an eARC from winning a giveaway.

THE ATMOSPHERE.

Let me tell you I was GIDDY when I found out I won this giveaway. I’ve been hyped to read this book after following this author on Instagram for years. And y’all, get ready to add another book to your TBR.

The lush atmosphere of the town of Darling will transport you. I’m not usually one for a lot of prose and detail, but the way this was written had me captivated. I truly felt like I was there and that all of the detail I was getting was inherently important. The rotating multi-POV narrators captured many angles of the plot and really showed off some intricate characters who felt incredibly real.

Who knew I would highly enjoy an alien romance? Somehow over the course of just a few days I was allllll in the feels for Delta and Starling. They had this sense of magic about them and I loved all of the tiny interactions. It was an immediate connection that play the more “instant attraction” trope well.

The ending blindsided me. I realized just how emotionally invested and connected I was to Starling. I was wrapped up in the fray of chaos occurring and how those final scenes played out. THANK HEAVENS for an epilogue that gives me the hope and light for new horizons.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Paranormal Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses to one implied closed door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: missing Father, slut-shaming, gun violence, house fire, breaking and entering

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Book Review: The Key (London Prep #4) by Jillian Dodd

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Jillian Dodd
Publisher: Swoonworthy Books
Release Date: February 23rd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s my final day at Kensington School, and my exchange is coming to an end. My flight for New York leaves tomorrow, and I’m not ready to say goodbye to the boys I love.

But then three key things happened at school. Noah told me to forget about him, Harry broke up with me, and I finally kissed Noah Williams.

When I kissed him in the lunchroom in front of everyone, it was out of anger. I wanted to prove to Harry that I didn’t have feelings for Noah.

But I was wrong.

The kiss was incredible. But it was also a mistake. Harry watched it happen, Mohammad sat in shock, and Noah told me that he would never forgive me. I made a huge, public mess of things. But thankfully, it’s time for me to leave. I’m going to take Noah’s advice and cut all ties.

No good-byes.
No apologies.
No more heartbreak.

I’m going to leave the three boys I love in London, hoping that they’ll be able to pick up the pieces of their friendship. And maybe in the process, they’ll find the pieces of my broken heart.

Because I know I’ll be going to New York without it.

SALTY.

That’s how this book made me feel: salty.

Why you ask?

I’m reading a love triangle contemporary romance filled with drama to the brim. AND NO ONE EVEN KISSED THIS BOOK. I expected romance and got none of it.

I think this series should have ended with this book honestly. Make it a bit longer and give the ending we all want [TEAM NOAH OF COURSE] and move on. Mal spends the entire book stubbornly refusing to listen to anyone around her and I got over it real quick.

It was cute seeing Mallory’s birthday and her solidifying some friendships. I love her and Mohammad. They are the best of friends and were the best part of this particular installment. I can’t help but roll my eyes and flip pages continuously while reading. It’s really easy to get swept away in the dramatics of this story, I am always wanting more.

All the love for Noah still. I just missed so much of the angst and tension between characters. I will read the next book only because I have become invested enough to make sure I see this through to the end. Let it be known this series will sour if my ship doesn’t sail.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong throughout
  • Romance: nada
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: underage drinking

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Book Review: Failed Future (Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles #3) by Elise Kova

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆  
Audience: YA Fantasy + Romance
Length: 356 pages
Author: Elise Kova
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Release Date: July 20th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When worlds collide, and things are rarely what they seem, there may be no one Vi can trust.

Having forsaken her crown for a chance to save her family, and the world, Vi Solaris washes up on the shores of Meru. She’s wounded and barely alive. But Vi’s fight for survival is only just beginning.

As a princess in a foreign land, everyone is after her.

The pirate queen Adela wants to sell her to the evil elfin’ra. The Twilight King wants to use her to settle an old score. And, perhaps most dangerous, is the scheming Lord of the Faithful who sees her as an opportunity to further consolidate his power.

The only path for Vi is forward. But she doesn’t yet know if she’s running toward salvation… or a brutal end to everything she loves.

Vi’s journey continues with even more betrayal, romance, magic, and a twist you never saw coming that leaves readers begging for the next book.

BACK ON THIS STRESSFUL RIDE.

I haven’t gotten back to this series in almost a year. I wasn’t super into book two and then it just fell by the wayside. I finally picked up book three and I see a change of pace before me.

I also remember exactly why this book STRESSES ME OUT SO MUCH.

But you would need to read the Air Awakens series first to understand (which I rave about constantly so please do).

The action picked up a lot here and I thought that Vi really started coming into her own. Taking charge of matters. Leading a team. Saving family. All the things I wanted to see from her. It was great and I look forward to her continued passion towards saving the world.

Romance wise, things were better here too. Now that they are able to have some more interaction, Vi and Taavin are starting to pull me on board their ship. LETS SAIL. The conflicts that arise between them are not over dramatic and actually fit into the plot (the best). I’m anxious to see how things break free for them.

Lots of things happening here. SO MANY. I didn’t feel very lost though after not reading this series for a bit which was really appreciated. The way that things from other books are brought up line up perfectly, keeping me informed and wanting more.

Can’t wait to finish this series up shortly!

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult fantasy + romance
  • Language: some
  • Romance: kisses to implied closed door scenes
  • Violence: physical altercations, magic, betrayals, weaponry; not overly bloody/gory

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Book Review: The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Paranormal
Length: 384 pages
Author: Rachel Griffin
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: June 1st, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.

In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It’s wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.

In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she’s the only one who can make a difference.

In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she’s terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.

In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves… before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.

Practical Magic meets Twister in this debut contemporary fantasy standalone about heartbreaking power, the terror of our collapsing atmosphere, and the ways we unknowingly change our fate.

WONDERFUL DEBUT.

I enjoyed this so dang much!

First off, the romance was so sweet. Like sugary syrup sweet. I couldn’t get enough of Clara and Sang together. There was passion and new experiences. Learning to lean on each other and the support Sang gave Clara was off the charts. Some swoony kissing scenes that really nailed this relationship for me.

I love the character growth in Clara over the year. She had to work through a lot of emotions and truths she had lead herself to believe for too long. Clara was pushed outside of her comfort zone and forced to face past relationships and trials too. By the end she had made some beautiful strides in owning her magic and herself.

There was a little bit of a repetitive nature to the story. Each season Clara would tackle a rogue weather pattern and then do that again and again. They did push Clara’s character forward, but it became extremely formulaic for me. And something that didn’t affect my rating, but that I did struggle with was how high my anxiety got reading this. Since climate change is front and center it caused my dooms-day anxiety to spike and made it tough to read at times (and this was a me thing, but wanted to mention to others who might be wary too).

I’m really excited to see what Griffin writes next. This was a witch book that I adored, and those are hard to come by for me.

Overall Audience Notes:

  • YA Paranormal
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses to closed door
  • Violence: minor physical altercations
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: grief and loss depiction, death of a parent and best friend, extreme weather patterns

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