Review: Bitten by Destiny by S. Young

Bitten by Destiny by S. Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

This was a much anticipated ending to the True Immortality series.  Echo is a vampire who has discovered that her maker is not the loving father she thought he was.  He has manipulated her from a young age and she has had enough.  She won't let her younger "sister" be manipulated and turned under false pretenses like she was, but in order to protect her, she must track down and partner with the fae she is supposed to eliminate.  Elijah is living the high life as a rock star.  He has known about his warlock abilities for a while, but he hasn't dipped his toes very deeply into the paranormal world.  He knows it exists, but when Echo shows up claiming he is fae he thinks she is insane.

To save the world and the people they love, Elijah and Echo have to find the other fae, who we have met in the previous books.  While this installment does read as a standalone, it does bring elements and characters together from the previous books.  I do think it elements from the overarching storyline are important to have as background and recommend reading those before jumping into this book as a starting point.  The author does do a great job giving background information and catching the reader up on past events as the last book came out 5 years ago and many of us haven't revisited this world in quite some time.  I was quickly able to remember who everyone was and what happened in their part of the story.  Each one of the fae born has a part to play in, and Elijah finds out that he and Echo are part of the bigger picture.  The are also extremely attracted to one another, but Echo has reservations especially when she is convinced she can't have anything good in her life.  Elijah is able to show her that being a vampire does not automatically mean she is evil.  There are some spicy scenes, but overall they are able to show each other how they feel and that they have each other's backs.  Not only do Elijah and Echo work as a team, but they work well with the other couples to save the world from impending doom.  It was nice to connect with the other couples for the final battle, and I also really appreciated the epilogue that closes out the storyline for each couple.  

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Review: The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided both an ARC and an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I loved all of the 90s pop culture references in this!  The X-files references made me smile, I loved that show when I was in high school.  Kids today will never understand having to use dialup or use AIM or ICQ to message their friends but that warmed my heart because that's how we communicated in the late 90s and early 2000s before everyone had cell phones.

This follows Freddie, a somewhat unknown member of her high school, who as a rule follower reports some kids disturbing the peace one evening.  Those kids happen to be from the rival high school, and she just got herself involved in an ages old prank war.  Now pulled in to the popular crowd with her best friend, she pretends that her good deed was in fact a master prank and hijinks ensues.  What she didn't account for is that the her hero and neighbor, the town sheriff, has a nephew at the rival school who happens to also be part of the pranks and he happens to be very attractive.

As Freddie and Theo bond over the prank wars, they also uncover a strange series of murders in town possibly tied to a curse.  Freddie channels her inner Dana Scully uncover the truth behind the curse and figure out what the heck is going on in her town, but she quickly finds herself in a Fox Mulder situation.  Unlike Mulder and Scully (in the original series), Freddie and Theo quickly give into their attraction despite going to rival schools.  

This was a great YA Paranormal Fantasy/Thriller.  It had great banter between the characters.  Freddie has a great best friend in Divya and the rest of the prank squad is pretty fun too.  This kind of reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer where the kids are off doing stuff, with little to no parental supervision when it comes to the paranormal stuff going on.  Freddie does have parents whom she speaks with often, but not when it comes to the curse and her own investigation of the weird stuff happening in town.  I think that is part of why we loved teen dramas of that era, because we could for an hour once a week believe that we could fight the demons, break the curses, and lead a completely normal life on the side without our parents ever knowing we snuck out (and back in) to slay whatever came out of the hellmouth.  Freddie's and Theo's sells that same storyline, you can be the nerdy girl or boy, then become part of the popular crowd, investigate murders and curses on the side, and still be home for dinner with a little romance on the side.  I really enjoyed it.

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Review: Break Me Down by Anna Downes

Break Me Down by Anna Downes
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided a ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a unique audiobook.  The narration was very well done with a full cast, and this reads more like a play than a novel.  It has mixed media aspects with news reports, voicemails, and podcast episodes mixed in with main character's point of view.  The narration is interactive with each character being voiced by a different narrator which you tend to only see in graphic audiobooks.  This really made the dialogue interactive.  

The author has a background in acting and if you listen to the interview with the cast and the author, they discuss how accurate her portrayal of some of the crazy and inappropriate behavior portrayed in the book really is.  As I was reading I thought some of the things Georgia experienced with Marianna was a bit out there but the cast will tell you they either experience or have colleagues who experienced similar acting classes that were as out there as Marianna's.  They prey not only on your bank account but on your emotions under the guise of making you a better performer and like Marianna cross the line into abusive.

In my opinion this took far too long to get into the thriller aspect of the book.  Much of the book feels more like Georgia's autobiography while she was living in a cult, as she becomes obsessed with taking acting classes with her teacher Mariana.  Her boyfriend introduced her to the classes, and now she is determined to be the star pupil.  As a child star, Georgia is no stranger to acting, but after a long hiatus she wants to be back on top of the acting game.  Marianna's teaching methods are unorthodox, but Georgia feels challenged and ready to unlock her potential.  This has the feeling of an unreliable narrator at times as you are never sure if what Georgia is "remembering" is real or a fever dream of Marianna's making.  As the story unfolds we never truly find out what is real and what is fabricated, but we do learn that everyone has their breaking point and that with the right drive people can be driven (manipulated) do anything.

Overall the concept of this book was interesting, and I think I would have connected with the characters more if I connected more with acting.  It is a topic I'm not really interested in, and I'm not really interested in cult based thrillers where people are living their lives.  I am more of an action packed fast packed thriller person, and this was more of a slow descent into madness.

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Review: Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

T. Kingfisher's retellings are slowly becoming my favorite books!  I love the dark spin she puts on the fairy tales we all think we know.  One of my favorite things to do when I read a retelling like this is to read the original if I haven't already to see how it compares.  The originals are often dark and these more modern takes often are closer to the original than the happy animated tales many of us grew up watching.  I love that there is room for both.

This was a darker version of Snow White and follows Anja, a "healer" who studies poisons and their antidotes instead of the more traditional healing arts.  She is what some would consider odd, but her unorthodox approach is why the King has summoned her to solve the riddle of why his daughter is constantly ill.  Anja's mind for puzzles, observant eyes,  and constant quest for information, makes for the perfect kind of person to find out what is going on with Princess Snow.  Healers, Nurses, maids, guards, and every other type of of person the king can think of can't figure out why Snow's health is failing.  Anja's more scientific methods and investigation uncover a magic mirror and mirror world that might be the reason Snow is getting sick.  Aided by her body guard, Anja's quest is filled with strange sights, dangerous foes, and things she never thought she would encounter.

I haven't read the original Snow White tale, but I will be very soon.  Kingfisher always does a good job taking the key points of the original tale and staying true to those key elements while putting her own unique spin on it to make something new.  I've really grown to love her reimaginings and this is no different.  Anja was a strong and independent character who didn't bow to societal norms.   Her father and family supported her and let her be her own person and pursue her passion for poison study.  The romance was a nice addition as it wasn't the focus and happened almost organically as Anja and Javier spend alot of time together exploring and debunking.  They complemented each other nicely.  

The narrations was really great as the narrator was able to pace the book nicely and do different voices and accents for the various characters throughout the novel.

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Review: Mistress of Bones by Maria Z. Medina

Mistress of Bones by Maria Z. Medina
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This had a really interesting premise, but I found it hard to follow.  There are alot of characters with very similar names and I struggled to keep them all straight.  The timeline also jumps around alot from chapter to chapter which also makes the storyline hard to follow because you aren't really sure what part of the story you are in because it isn't consistent from chapter to chapter "when" you are.  There is some romance, however it is a secondary plotline and not the main focus.  It is more of a promise for more to come.  The magic system is interesting and Azul's dedication and love for her sister is compelling.

I would have liked more background info on the gods and how the magic is tied to them.  I love mythology and lore, but I like a bit of an explanation on how that all works together.  Hopefully there is more to come in book 2.  The pacing is a bit on the slower side for my preferences when it comes to fantasy, but the ending was interesting enough for me to want to pick up the next book and see where things go.  

The audio narration was excellent.  Ana Osoria does a wonderful job

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Review: Woven from Clay: A Novel by Jenny Birch

Woven from Clay: A Novel by Jennifer Birch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

What a unique premise!!!  This follows Terra, a normal if not overachieving high school senior who just wants to have a great year.  Enter Thorne, a mysterious new kid, who wants nothing more than to get in Terra's way and keeps spouting off weird nonsense that she doesn't understand.  She also can't understand why there is mud everywhere she goes either and why Thorne is so interested in Mr. Quill the nice old guy in town that is like everyone's grandpa.  Thorne opens Terra's eyes to the world of magic and exposes himself and Mr. Quill as warlocks.  Turns out Mr. Quill is kind of like everyone's grandpa as he created golems, hence the mud, for all of the families in town under the guise of adoption.  Terra quickly comes to understand that some of her feelings around being adopted are warranted, but not because she was abandoned by her birth parents, but because she was created.  Thorne was sent on a mission from his guild, but Terra changes that mission  so she can save herself, Mr. Quill, and those like her.  She has to work with Thorne to prove that she can control magic and is a force for good.  In doing so she uncovers a vengeance plot within the guild that Terra and Thorn have to stop if they want to save the other golems.

This had some really great commentary about adoption, loneliness, inadequacy, friendship, abandonment, and finding your place in the world.  I didn't know this was a YA book when I picked it up, and I thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult.  I also think this would be great for middle grade and YA readers as well.  The magic system was well explained, there is no graphic content (there is some kissing), it has diverse characters, the pacing is great, and the plot was entertaining.

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Review: The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan

The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a unique and atmospheric thriller set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.  Private Investigator Annie Gore has been hired to investigate the long cold case of three missing girls from a small town.  Max, her latest employer, has never given up hope that his missing sister could be found and is determined to get closure on her whereabouts.  Having grown up in Appalachia herself Annie knows how private and protective people can be of their own and she is well aware of how her investigations can stir up a town.  Annie has a track record of solving cases, and while hesitant to take this one she is willing to see what she can find even if it brings up her own painful memories and angers the townsfolk.

I'm not usually a fan of thrillers that involve children, but this is captivating and the focus is more on the investigation.  Annie having spent time in the military as a special investigator is tough and she knows how to draw out information and follow a lead.  She also has great instincts and knows when her bias is possibly leading her astray.  This book kept me interested from the first minute to the last.  There are so many people that Annie interviews that could be the kidnapper, but the twist at the end really surprised me.  I also loved the addition of the tale of the "Witch of Quartz Creek", the folklore and various retellings of the tale play a key role in the investigation and the lives of the people that live in town.  I always love when folklore plays a part in a novel and story of the Witch and it's variations was a wonderful addition to the novel.

This was a fantastic debut, and I look forward to seeing what the author writes in the future.  If we follow Annie on further investigations or if there are more thrillers to come I would be happy to read them if they are all as gripping as this one.

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Review: The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided both an ALC and an ARC of this book via Netgalley all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller.  Georgia has been accused of murdering her younger sister, but instead of prison she has been placed in a psychiatric institution on hold while she awaits trial.  She is completely aware of what is going on, but to give herself time she is pretending to have a mental break.  Unbeknownst to Amanda, Georgia is her twin and the only one she wants to talk to while she is locked up awaiting trial.  Amanda and Georgia were both adopted as newborns but neither  knew they were a twin.  They both lived very different lives growing up, and Amanda is determined to find out how they are connected and find out the truth about her new sister.  She unravels a web of lies and manipulation in a world of wealth she doesn't understand.  As she pretends to be part of Georgia's world to find the truth, she realizes that there is much more to the story than anyone let on.  

I found this to be very entertaining and fast paced.  The story alternates between Mandy and Georgia's points of view.  We get to learn about their lives growing up and who they are today.  How their relationships with their families shaped them and how things progressed to the night of the murder of Annabelle the younger sister.  There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and a big unexpected twist at the end that I never saw coming.   

January LaVoy remains one of my favorite narrators and she did a wonderful job with this.  She is so talented and did different voices for the different characters so you can always tell what is going on and who is speaking.

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Review: Angel Down: A Novel by Daniel Kraus

Angel Down: A Novel by Daniel Kraus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided a ARC of this book via Netgalley and Atria books, all opinions are my own.

I loved Whalefall by Daniel Krause, however this book is much different.  This is set on the battlefields of WWI and follows Cyril Bagger as he trudges through the trenches and the mud (there is so much mud).  Bagger isn't the best soldier nor is he a great guy, however when he stumbles across an angel his tune changes a bit.  He spent his time prior his service in the Army running cons, and now he swindles his fellow soldiers every chance he gets and he stays as far away from the action as he can get.  When he and his mates are sent to rescue a shrieking comrade they find something very different.  The each have very different experiences with the angel that Bagger finds and it either brings out the worst or the best in each man.

This book while it has chapters is written as one big long sentence.  There are plenty of commas, but there isn't much other punctuation if there is any.  It was an interesting choice for writing style.  I'm not a huge fan of stream of conscious style writing, and it typically doesn't work for me.   The pace is also very slow.  We don't meet the angel until many chapters in and much of that time is Bagger and his fellow soldiers tromping through mud contemplating their existence, which is probably a fairly accurate portrayal of what a soldier was going through at that time in France.  The story focuses on Bagger's experiences and what is happening around him.  Parts of this story are very gory and graphic which adds to the atmosphere.  Each person who lays eyes on the angel has a very deep and personal reaction, and is forced to have an internal struggle the longer they are in her presence.  They battle their internal demons and see who wins.

Overall I thought this was a very unique take on WWI historical horror.  I really enjoyed Bagger's growth and his relationship with Arno.  Overall the writing style and pacing on this one wasn't for me, I tend to enjoy this style more as an audiobook especially with the slower pace.  The conflict and challenges each soldier faced were interesting and really captured the human condition.

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Review: The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully

The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties Program.  In full transparency I did end up listening to the audiobook via my library, but as usual all opinions are my own.

This was such a fun cozy mystery.  I hope this ends up being a series, I would love to go on future cases with Olivia and Merritt.  Aubrey Merritt is a renowned Private Investigator, and she is looking for an assistant.  Enter Olivia Blunt, a fact checker for an online news outlet with no investigative experience but a fascination in detectives and mysteries.  Eager to learn the business and earn the respect of the famous PI, Olivia is determined to do her best and become a PI herself.

When a case takes them to Vermont, Olivia and Merritt must determine if a socialite and matriarch of the Summersworth family took her own life or was murdered.  Olivia's empathy for the family, the deceased, and the suspects often leaves her questioning Merritt's tactics and investigative practices.  She often jumps to conclusions and goes with the easiest solution instead of slowing down and looking at the bigger picture, something Merritt coaches her on.  As the duo questions friends and family members the case has many red herrings and slowly reveals several different motives.  Olivia makes lots of mistakes and thinks she is doing a terrible job on the case, however she uncovers several key clues that Merritt is able to use to solve the case.  

I thought this was really entertaining and fun.  Olivia at times bumbles around trying to please Merritt and ultimately displeases her grumpy boss, but she learns new skills and finds clues at every turn.  Merritt was very gruff and stoic and essentially impossible to impress, so nothing Olivia ever does is going to be right which adds to the humor of the book.  The banter and sarcasm isn't going to be to everyone's taste, but I enjoyed it.  I expect if the series continues these two are eventually going to get along swimmingly.  I liked how the author kept you guessing who-dun-it with all of the characters and plot lines.  I wasn't sure until the very end, I was close, but who I thought ended up not being the culprit.

Overall if you are looking for a fun, cozy mystery, I highly recommend this one.  

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Review: Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was delightful. I'm a huge fan of cozy scifi and cozy fantasy and this fits more of the cozy scifi bill. This follows a found family of robots who were abandoned by their humans several months ago. They were all contracted to make mediocre food for takeout, but now they have no purpose. They put their heads and coin together and decide to open their own restaurant making food they want to serve as their head chef has always wanted to make noodles that humans would actually want to eat. They each have talents to support their venture and when the their noodle business starts becoming a success they are all elated. Then the negative reviews come in threatening their hard work. The robots have to band together again to save their beloved noodle shop and thrive in a world that despite having rights for robots, still doesn't love them.

This was so wonderful. For being a novella, this packs in a ton of social commentary while still having a great storyline about found family and hope even if the characters are robots. The author's choice to use robots as metaphor for humans in this post-war San Francisco was brilliant.

I really enjoyed the narrator, they did voices for each of the characters which was important to distinguish which bot was which. If you are a fan of Becky Chambers or Travis Baldree I highly recommend this.

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Review: The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw

The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is a strange one!  If you liked the way A Deadly Education was written, this is told in a similar style which I enjoyed, however this does bounce back and forth between "then" and "now" which made me feel like I missed something.  Frequently I hadn't been given that information yet, but with only the audiobook with was hard to reference. I had alot of "ah ha" moments with the reveals as the book progressed.  This is one of those books that I feel will make sense on a reread where you can really take in all of those points that you missed the first time.  Having read several of Khaw's books now, this on par for their writing style and you are either going to love it or leave it.  Khaw uses alot of deliberately descriptive words that you don't hear very often which again is going to appeal to some while it will be a turn off to others.

This book is fairly gory, so if you aren't a fan of descriptive gore, viscera, and blood this isn't a good one for you.  There is far more gore than dark academia.  The characters don't spend much time in the classroom developing skills or learning about their abilities.  Hellebore Academy is a place for children who have developed paranormal abilities or who are paranormal by nature.  Some students apply for entrance, but some like Alessa Li are going about their lives and appear at Hellebore in the next minute against their will. Alessa wants nothing to do with Hellebore, however she isn't able to leave the grounds.  Hellebore promises students they will be able to live normal lives after their tenure at the academy, but the education is strange and graduation day proves to be an even stranger and gruesome event.  Those who survive the graduation ceremony are locked in the library and must work together in the days they have left to survive.  This is filled with strange relationships, monsters, body horror, prophesies, and more.  This is one you really have to experience for yourself.  Once I understood the format of the book and the timeline I really became hooked into the story and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

The narration was well done.  The narrator does different voices for the many characters and really captures the creepy tone of the academy.

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Review: The Golden Age of Magic by Luanne G. Smith

The Golden Age of Magic by Luanne G. Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC via Brilliance Audio and Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Set in 1920s Hollywood, this follows Celeste, who is essentially a junior fairy godmother out on her first solo mission.  She left France when another of her order felt slighted and her mentor felt it was best for her to leave the country until tempers settled.  She is in search of her first protégé to nudge them to greatness with their inherent talents.  In Hollywood she is drawn to a talented yet unknown seamstress working hard on the set of a movie.  She also finds darkness and chaos on the set, which makes her mission more complicated than anticipated.  

I thought the author did a good job explaining the magic.  The sisterhood of the Fées Gardiennes and their counterparts the Skulks were also well explained, though it does take until the end of the book to get the information.  This has a slight romance subplot, but it doesn't really go anywhere.  Perhaps that develops more as the series progresses.  I anticipate we will get to know Celeste more as well as the series progresses and she grows into her role as a full fledged Fées Gardiennes.  I'm anxious to see how the series progresses and learn more about the other members of the order.

Overall I really enjoyed the plot and the concept of the book.  The narrator did a good job with the story and the characters.  

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Review: In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy

In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This follows Imogen, a siren in hiding.  She is the ward of a strange and abusive king who is making a show of her upcoming marriage to the captain of his guard.  When the handsome king from a neighboring country recognizes her though they have never met, things begin to unravel for Imogen.  She decides she must escape her prison of a home and the friendly king Theo may be her only hope of protection.  Imogen and Theo form a blood bond and embark on a journey to not only save her from her keeper but to save Theo's kingdom.  

I seem to be in the minority, but I thought this was just OK.  The concept was really interesting, but as a fantasy lover, so many things were left unexplained.  For example, why do the sirens have wings instead of tails? That is clearly a deliberate choice the author made to deviate from other siren/mermaid tales we've seen in the past, but we never get an explanation why or what they are for.  Also Imogen doesn't spend much time in the water so we never get to see her use her wings and she doesn't fly.  Maybe that will be made clear in the future.  As a romance reader I didn't feel the tension and chemistry between the two main characters, so I wasn't drawn into the romance aspect of the story.  I wanted more development of their relationship and character development overall.

I would have liked more development and information on the myths and lore of the world.  It was only in the last few chapters that we get a bit of backstory on the goddess Ligea and the deity Eusia.  We don't get much information on the other gods and goddesses of the world.  We also don't get alot of development of the magic system.  Imogen knows she is a siren, but she can't control her power at the beginning of the book.  She has one lesson with Theo then she seemingly is all powerful and can control her powers with no problem.   The concept of the Mage Seer was interesting but it left me confused and I felt like I missed something despite reading those parts over a few times.  I'm hoping we get more in the next book as Imogen's journey continues.

Overall this is a good start to the series, and I'm interested to see where it goes.  

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Review: Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge

Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was compared to Fourth Wing and Iron Widow, but I don't think those are fair comparisons.  The romance is very tame, the enemies to lovers aren't really enemies, and while Kel has her convictions about how the phoenixes should be treated there isn't a war going on and there aren't any battle scenes.  This isn't quite as action packed as those two books, so I don't want readers to expect one thing and get something else.  This is in my opinion YA whereas both of those books were New Adult/Adult when it came to the romance and violence.

I wanted more backstory on the phoenixes and the world.  The phoenix racing was a really cool concept, but the origin story of the creatures was missing as to how the creatures came to live among humans and it wasn't clear if they had magic or not and how that worked.  There is a poem or tale of sorts that Kel mentions several times, but it isn't clear where it came from.

This follows Kelyn aka Kel and her phoenix Savita.  Kel's father found Savita and raised her from a young age.  Kel is essentially a phoenix whisperer, she is Savita's handler and works with her and her team to race in elaborate and dangerous phoenix races.  Their team isn't sponsored so they don't have the best gear or tech like some of the other teams.  When a race goes sideways and they lose their rider, the team has to join forces with exiled members of a rival team.  They are also approached by a sponsor who can really help their racing progress.  The problem is Kel's least favorite person Warren Coupers aka Coup is their new rider.  She doesn't really like him for his reckless stunts.  Kel is a bit uptight and prickly and wants everyone to do things her way, it kind of makes her unlikable.  Coup is fun and has no fear and he wants Kel to loosen up and live a little.  As Kel actually gets to know Coup, she realizes he isn't that bad.  They also uncover some questionable practices within their sponsor's research facility that don't add up to what they were told.

Overall I think this book was enjoyable, but there were some things I felt were underdeveloped.  I wanted a bit more worldbuilding from the perspective of the magic system, the lore, and the character development.  The descriptions of the races was done well and that concept was really cool.  I think as an adult I want more from my books these days and I think a younger audience would really enjoy this.

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Review: The Code for Love by Anne Marsh

The Code for Love by Anne Marsh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided both an ALC and an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This unfortunately didn't work for me.  The narration was a bit too monotone for me and the characters were far too immature for my liking.  As this is told from Pandora's perspective I found that much of it felt as if Pandora was rambling for 26 chapters.  I felt like it was one big rambling inner monologue.  This is marketed as an enemies to lovers, but Ozzy is never really her enemy, Pandora is just a workaholic introvert.  Their "meet cute" is super awkward, all of their interactions are immature, their conversations make no sense, and they have no chemistry.  Pandora is constantly objectifying Ozzy and his body or she is complaining and self loathing, it makes for a weird dynamic and the plot suffers.

Having worked in software development for much of my career, I question if the author did any research or has experience in development.  I often found myself saying "that is not how that works" in many situations.  I admit it is possible that my experience could differ from someone else's however many of these situations were inappropriate or just unrealistic for a professional setting.  Inaccuracies like that are an immediate turn off for me in a book.  I also didn't need to be told 50 times that Pandora is an engineer and that is her entire personality.  Engineering is a profession and not all engineers are nocturnal introverts who ignore basic hygiene. 

Overall I think this had a good premise, but this suffered from trying to throw every romance trope into one book.  I wasn't a fan of the rambling style of stream of consciousness style of delivery.  The character development and plot were also lacking.

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Review: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions are my own.

This book was the cozy hug I needed.  Sera lost most of her magic when she cast a spell to save her beloved Aunt Jasmine.  Sera is always sacrificing and taking care of others, despite the grumpy facade she puts on.  She helps Jasmine run the Batty Hole Inn (great and appropriate name by the way), where people who need a comfortable and safe place to stay always find one for as long as they need.  Together they have built a wonderful found family with a skeleton chicken, a talking fox, a knight, and a quirky gardener among others.  When an old friend gives Sera the key to gaining her magic back, it just so happens that Luke Larsen is the only one who can help her translate the spell and he and his sister happened to show up at the inn shortly after the spell lands in Sera's hands.  Coincidence?  I think not!  Luke much like Sera will do anything to take care of his sister Posy and the people who mean something to him, but he has spent years building walls and conforming to the rules of magical society.  He wants nothing to do with the shenanigans that make up the inn, but soon realizes that it might be what is best for Posy and maybe for himself.

I absolutely loved the dynamics of the Inn and Sera's family and friends.  While I don't run an inn, I related to her so well with taking care of the people around me.  I wish I could magic all the laundry away and make my appliances more efficient with magic.  I really loved that we got to see her both with an without magic in the book on her journey of self discovery.    Sera and Luke's romance was super slow burn, but they were really cute together.  Every character was so lovable and while there were big conversations on big topics, at the end of the day they just wanted to be near each other  The characters were wonderful, the messages this book holds are even more wonderful, and I delighted in every moment spent within the pages of this book!

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Review: The Situation by Adriana Locke

The Situation by Adriana Locke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ALC via the author, all opinions are my own.

I really felt old when Tate didn't know who Kelly Kapowski was, but it was really funny when finally figured it out.  Saved by the Bell was such a big part of my childhood.  Aurora has not been lucky in love, so when gorgeous Tate Brewer sits down next to her on a flight to a conference she is not interested in his charm.  Tate is used to getting what he wants, and right now he wants her.  She gives him a fake name and they have some witty banter until their flight lands, but she turns him down when he asks her to dinner.  Undeterred, Tate meets her for dinner anyway and they have a night to remember.  Aurora returns to her life in marketing, only to reunite with Tate when she finds out his family owns the hockey team she is working to rebrand and he is taking over the marketing efforts.  He also isn't backing down on his efforts to woo her.

Tate is a little over the top with his overtures and spoiled brat mentality.  Then again he's still in his twenties and the baby of his family.  He is used to getting his way and is rarely told no in any situation.  Aurora on the other hand is while not old, older than Tate and has had more experience with relationships and knows what she wants and doesn't want.  She has been burned by men in the past and is willing to ask for what she wants.  Their relationship moved a bit fast for my taste, but they were entertaining.

Can I say how much I loved Mimi?  I'm a sucker for a good grandparent character and Mimi was such a great one?  She gave great advice and was hilarious.   I miss my grandmother so much, so when I see a character like this where there is such a loving and genuine connection it fills my heart.  I also love that she loves to bake and they bake together!

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Review: An Irish Summer by Alexandra Paige

An Irish Summer by Alexandra Paige
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Chelsea made me so angry as she wasted her opportunity to explore Ireland during her summer abroad. I have always wanted to visit Ireland, my great grandparents on both sides of my family immigrated from Ireland and I would love to visit one day. I hope to get there someday and get to experience some of the magic the country has to offer.

This follows Chelsea, who has her future all mapped out. She has a comfortable job working at a cozy bed and breakfast, but when the couple she works for unexpectedly decide to retire and sell the property all of her plans some to a screeching halt. As a consolation, the couple offer Chelsea and opportunity to work at their sister property The Wanderer, a hostel in Ireland. This will give her the summer to figure things out. Chelsea is not thrilled with this opportunity, she likes plans and order and is not a fan of change. Encouraged by her more spontaneous best friend and her parents to take a chance on Ireland, she takes the job at the Wanderer. There she meets the staff who despite her best efforts become a found family of sorts for Chelsea and encourage her to make the most out of the time she has and live in the moment. The biggest proponent of this is the hostel's tour guide and charmer Collin. He is determined to to show Chelsea the magic of his country and get her to slow down and enjoy life a little.

Chelsea was really hard to like. Collin and Flo were so lovely and likeable, I can't imagine them as actual real people being friends with Chelsea. It would have been more realistic that they would have given up on her after a few interactions as she was so whiny and standoffish. Chelsea was so rigid and unwilling to accept her situation. I am all for a plan for your future, but she always putting Collin down for his choice to work at the hostel. Their relationship, while sweet, wasn't very realistic and lacked chemistry. Fortunately, Chelsea figures herself out before it is too late. I also wanted more world building. Ireland is one of my bucket list places to visit and I wanted to experience Ireland through Chelsea and Collin's eyes.

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Review: Pretty Good Science Jokes: 230 Peer-Reviewed, Lab-Tested, Nobel-Worthy Jokes, Puns, and Zingers

Pretty Good Science Jokes: 230 Peer-Reviewed, Lab-Tested, Nobel-Worthy Jokes, Puns, and Zingers by Steve Mockus
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Some of these jokes were really funny, while others were great puns, and the illustrations were great. Unfortunately some of the jokes required a more intimate knowledge of science to really get the joke making them not funny for the average reader. My husband and I are well educated, and we just didn't get some of these hence the lower rating. I've also heard some of these before, so some of the jokes are not original.

This would be a great gift for a science lover depending on their personality. There are some good ones in here.

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Review: Frosting and Flames: A Small-Town, Forced Proximity Romance by Allie Winters

Frosting and Flames: A Small-Town, Forced Proximity Romance by Allie Winters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

This book was super cute. Rachel has returned home to help run the family bakery. She has a head for finance, and wants nothing but to make the bakery a success. Unfortunately, her parents want to do things the way they have always done things, which is why the bakery was failing in the first place. Her conversations about staffing, inventory, and the price of ingredients fall on deaf ears, but Rachel knows that she has to make some changes fi they want to stay afloat. Fortunately the product is good and Rachel and her sisters love what they do. Nick is a local firefighter, who has spent years atoning for a mistake he made as a teenager. He had a rough childhood and his mistake impacted Rachel's family. When a small fire at the bakery brings them back together they are forced to face what happened when they were in high school. They find themselves running into each other often around town and through a series of unfortunate events (or fortunate depending on how you look at it) they end up running a fundraiser together. They are able to rebuild a friendship and more as they get to know each other.

I really enjoyed getting to know Rachel and Nick. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start, but that is expected once you understand the backstory. Rachel is overworked and stressed about the bakery, and she has just gotten out of a serious relationship where her trust was broken and she was deeply hurt. Nick on the on the other hand is a super easy going bachelor, who while his teen years were rough and he made some bad choices has turned his life around and has become a model citizen. His crush on Rachel goes way back, and he is willing to put the work in to earn her trust and be ready for her to be in a relationship at her pace. Their lines of communication got crossed a few times, but they quickly worked things out without a ton of prolonged angst. Most of the drama was caused by Rachel's ex, who is nothing but drama.

This was a great small town romance, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Allie Winter's always delights with her characters and romantic plotlines.

By the way, I want a recipe booklet for all of the delicious things they were making at the bakery 

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Review: A Royal Mile by Samantha Young

A Royal Mile by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

I’m really enjoying the second generation of the Dublin Street kids. This follows Lily, Liv and Cam’s eldest daughter who is a student working towards her degree in psychotherapy and also has a dating podcast with her friends. She hasn’t had the best luck with dating and relationships, but she hasn’t let that keep her down. Sebastian on the other hand doesn’t want a serious relationship. He’s k own as a player and only wants to be friends with Lily. Their relationship has gotten off to a rocky start, but with time they become inseparable and feelings become more than friendly.

I really enjoyed getting to know Lily and Sebastian. I also loved getting to see all of the characters from the original Dublin Street series all grown up and as parents. Both characters have a great friend group to support them through think and thin. Our characters face some obstacles as they sort out their feelings for one another, and having a strong support group was key to them figuring things out. They also had great chemistry and communication once they started working together on how they felt about each other.

This reads as a complete standalone, but if you want to get to know Beth and Callan who are mentioned several times I. This book I highly recommend On Loverose Lane.

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Review: Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare

Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions are my own.

This was a super cute multi-verse romance. It borders on cozy, however the stakes are pretty high as Tressa Fay and her lady love Meryl's relationship deepens. This follows Tressa Fay an outspoken hairstylist, who has great friends, loves her job, and wants to sit at home with a nice bowl of soup with her cat. When a text from a wrong number beckons her to meet a mystery woman who never shows she is not only irritated that she left her perfectly good bowl of soup, but that she feels like she was catfished. When Meryl's sister shows up demanding to know what is going on between them and where Meryl is, Tressa Fay and her friends are determined to figure out how Meryl and Tressa Fay are connected.

I really enjoyed the multi-verse aspect of this romance. I appreciated the science aspect and explanations, but that may not be everyone's cup of tea. I am a huge scifi fan, so I enjoyed it. Tressa Fay and Meryl weren't always together or even in the same time period, but their interactions were fun and flirty as they got to know each other through text message. When they were together in the same time and place, they were always aware of Meryl's eventual disappearance or working to change that part of her timeline. Their in person interactions were again fun and flirty and the multi-verse aspect was unique take on a romance. This has some great humor, some spice, and a great group of friends to support the characters.

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Review: The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided and ARC of this book via Sourcebooks and Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this suspenseful, family drama. This follows ghostwriter Olivia in the wake of her social ousting. She had the gall to speak her mind at a conference and now she has essentially been cancelled and what was once a successful career ghostwriting memoirs and nonfiction has completely dried up. No one wants to be associated with her after she angered one of publishing's most successful writers. When a new project crosses her desk she has to take it, it just so happens to be her estranged father's memoir and the story everyone has wanted him to tell about what happened to his family. The problem is Olivia isn't sure if this is another one of his horror novels, another way he is trying to manipulate her, or if he really is telling the truth about what happened.

I haven't read a good thriller in quite a while. This alternates between the present day from Olivia's perspective, her father Vincent's perspective in 1975, as well as her Aunt Poppy's perspective also in 1975. In the present, Vincent's health is failing and he wants to tell the truth about what happened to his brother and sister as he is the only one who knows the truth. In bringing Olivia on to tell his story, it was almost as if he was making amends in a way for many things. Olivia is given very specific stipulations on how she must write the book, but being a good writer and a prior journalist she is able to seek out the information she needs to make sense of what her father tells her and the notes and clues he's left her. As we travel back in time and hear from Vincent and Poppy we learn of the tension and dark emotions that were running among the 3 Taylor siblings. There were plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing as to what really happened and why Vincent was so secretive about it all of these years.

If you are looking for a book full of secrets and scavenger hunts, this is a great read.

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Review: Sunshine and Spice by Aurora Palit

Sunshine and Spice by Aurora Palit
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program.

This was really cute! We follow Naomi as she works really hard to establish her independent brand consulting business aft work working at a corporate firm. Her latest rebranding job is a local bazaar who's owner is very hard to please. Naomi's mother did not raise her with a traditional Bengali upbringing, and she feels alienated when she is around other's who were raised in a traditional India home. She wants desperately to connect with her heritage, but she doesn't know who or how to ask. Enter Dev, son of the woman who's bazaar Naomi is rebranding. Dev much like Naomi's mother wants to break free of the confines of the traditions that are being forced upon him. His mother has hired a matchmaker and wants him to have an arranged marriage. He was forced into a career he doesn't really love because his father would only accept certain careers, and he never seems to be able to do anything right. While working with Naomi, things start to fall into place as she runs interference for him on his potential matches as his fake girlfriend and opens her world to the culture and traditions she has never experienced under the guise of research for the rebranding.

I thought Dev and Naomi had great interactions. Their grumpy sunshine dynamic played well with the plotline of wanting to fit in and know your culture and knowing and feeling overwhelmed by it. I still don't understand why it was a big secret that Naomi wasn't raised with the culture by her mom and that she wanted to learn more about her heritage. I get being embarrassed by that, and not wanting to make her mom mad, but that whole thread seemed a weak and underdeveloped. Perhaps I missed something. Overall, this has some spicy scenes, some emotional scenes, and I overall thought this was a fun read.

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Review: A Fate Forged in Fire: A Novel by Hazel McBride

A Fate Forged in Fire: A Novel by Hazel McBride
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  In full transparency I did end up listening to the audiobook via my Spotify subscription, which I pay for myself as I wanted to get this reviewed as close to release date as possible.

This is the first book in an adult romantasy duology.  There are several spicy scenes in this but the fantasy and political plotlines far out shadow the romance.  This is definitely adult as there are several triggering scenes and quite a few adult topics covered.  This talks about body autonomy when it comes to women and motherhood, there is a particularly gruesome scene where the main character is almost brutally sterilized by one of the priests of the opposing religion.  There are quite a few detailed fight scenes, so if gory details and blood aren't your cup of tea you may want to skip this one.  

This leans into Celtic lore and Ameyra our main character is the true born queen according to the laws of the kingdom.  She has been hidden away to protect her identity and now she and those loyal to her are making a play to retake the thrown and kingdom.  The reigning king has just died and his son is poised to take the throne.  He is supported by an opposing religion that claims Amerya and those like her blessed by the goddesses with magic are demons.  The road to the throne is not going to be easy as her people are starving and dying under the oppressive rule of their new King, and she is not able to seize power as easily has she had hoped.  Her forces must go to war but at what cost?

I thought the world building and fantasy elements were really well done.  The plot was well constructed and I loved the female based power structure.  Amerya on the other hand is supposed to be one of the most powerful magic wielders and trained to become queen, yet she makes some really poor decisions when it comes to her actions.  She is not the female leader that her people need and at every turn she is often thwarted by the opposition and by her own advisors.  I hope in the next book we see more character development from her and she grows into the queen she needs to be, not the damsel in distress she often was in this first book.  

I'm looking forward to the next book to find out how our characters grow and what happens now that the two sides are truly at war.

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Release Day: Meet Cute or Your Money Back by Katana Collins

That awkward moment when the matchmaker becomes the match…

Meet Cute or Your Money Back, an all-new grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, matchmaker romcom  from USA Today bestselling author Katana Collins is now available!

I know what women want in a man and they pay me a lot of money to find it for them. 

With the help of my fellow ex-special forces brothers, I opened up a matchmaking business where we use our military skills to help our clients find The One. And it turns out a little military strategy goes a long way.

I treat each new client in my matchmaking business like its own mission. And I’m proud to say that I have a one hundred percent success rate.

Or at least I did. Before Allie Larsen entered the picture. 

She’s smart. She’s beautiful. She’s charming…

… and she’s impossible to please.

But when it turns out Allie has secrets she’s been keeping, she not only jeopardizes her own matchmaking mission, but she puts both our lives in danger.

Except this time, it's not only my life at risk... it's my heart.

When they said, "All's fair in love and war," I'm not sure this is what they meant.

 

Start reading today!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4khFW9E 

Add Meet Cute or Your Money Back to Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/mcoymbgr  

Keep reading for a look inside Meet Cute or Your Money Back!

I knew someone was following me from the moment I stepped out into the brisk city air. When you’re in my line of work, you learn not to ignore that prickling sensation on the back of your neck. I’ve had eyes on me enough times to know the difference between paranoia and the real deal. One surreptitious glance over my shoulder confirms that I’m right. Only it doesn’t appear to be some insidious threat lurking in the shadows; it’s a pair of round hazel, curious eyes that are trained on me.

“Okay,” I mutter under my breath, tightening my grip on my to-go paper coffee cup, “time to face the music.”

      

I make a sharp turn down an alleyway, my boots echoing off the graffiti-stained walls. There’s a method to this madness—alleyways are good for confrontations, fewer prying eyes. I position myself around the corner behind a dumpster and wait, counting the seconds. Sure enough, the soft patter of footsteps crescendos as she rounds the bend, almost on cue.

  

I pull my gun from my waistband, ensuring the safety is still on and raise it chest height as I step out from the shadows. “Why are you following me?”

      

I cringe as she spins to face me, her pouty, berry-shaded lips parted in a gasp. “Oh my lord! That’s a gun!” she cries with the timbre of a kindergarten teacher.

      

“Wow, look at you, Detective Sunshine. So tell me…are you lost or just really into following people?” My tone’s casual, but my stance is anything but. I hold firm with the gun raised, waiting for her to stumble over some lie. But she stops short, blinking up at me with an expression that’s part surprise, part chagrin.

      

“Following you?” Her voice has that high-pitched quality of someone caught red-handed. She laughs—a nervous kind of laugh—and then looks away, searching for an escape route that isn’t there. “No, no, I...I was...”

      

“Let’s cut to the chase.” I step closer and see her swallow hard. Good. Keep her on her toes. “You’ve been tailing me since we both exited the coffee shop. What’s your game?”

She tugs at the strap of her bag, clearly buying time, and I can tell she’s not used to being cornered. Most folks aren’t. Then again, I’ve learned not to trust anyone. Especially some cute brunette playing innocent. I’ve seen firsthand how the doe-eyed Bambi can be trained to lie through their teeth and turn into the deadliest assassin in the room in a blink of those mascara-laden eyes.

      

I’m absolutely not falling for that act.

      

“Who are you?” I demand, not unkindly, but firmly enough to show I mean business. I can see the wheels turning behind those wide eyes, the cogs of her brain grinding as she sizes up whether to run or spill as she stares down the barrel of my gun.

      

“Okay, okay...” She exhales sharply, a half-defeated chuckle escaping her lips. “This is going to sound strange, but⁠—”

She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, and I notice for the first time how the setting sunlight catches in her wavy hair, turning it into liquid amber. There’s this playful glint in her hazel eyes that makes them shimmer like two drops of top-shelf whiskey. The sundress she’s wearing clings to her petite frame in a way that’s casual but deliberate, like a flag staked on the territory of her curves.

      

“I’m waiting.”

      

“Look,” she starts, tipping her head back to meet my gaze with a confidence that’s almost disarming. “I saw you back there, in the café. You were like some kind of cabernet Cupid, helping that girl with the spilled wine connect with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome.”

For more information about Katana Collins and her books, visit her website: 

https://katanacollins.com