Review: Play On: A Soccer Romantic Comedy by Aven Ellis

Play On: A Soccer Romantic Comedy by Aven Ellis
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an audio copy for review via RB Media’s Listening Circle, all opinions are my own.

This follows a British aristocrat and a professional football player an a sweet romance.

Something about this didn't work for me.  The first chapter starts with Noah and Violet hitting it off perfectly.  So I immediately wondered how are we going to have a whole novel about a perfect couple unless they are split up for some silly reason.  While Violet has legitimate issues she needs to work on, and Noah has some past traumas there wasn't enough substance to either of them for me to enjoy the characters.

Violet's character really bothered me.  She has a master's degree in Art History and has been brought up in the aristocracy. Finishing university and pursuing a masters requires focus and dedication.  If Violet were the so-called butterfly her family painted her to be, flitting from one project to another, I don’t think she would have been able to finish her degrees.  This characterization just didn’t make sense to me.  I totally understand being a perfectionist and not starting something you don’t think you can do perfectly, that made sense to me.  I also can understand starting a project and abandoning it, lots of people are guilty of that for many reasons. Her inability to pursue a career seemed unrealistic.  

The dialogue between the characters was kind of cheesy and immature at times.  It didn’t make me feel the chemistry building between them, and the narration didn’t deliver on the emotion I was looking for.  The author tends to use the same words and descriptors over and over again.  For example  “hot” is often the only descriptor used instead of  mixing up the descriptors up for attractive, sensual, sexy, etc and the term “pick and mix”, is used far too often as if it is an entire character on its own.  While I’m a fan of candy, it does not make up the entirety of my personality and the basis of my relationship like it seems to with Noah and Violet.  The narrator was inconsistent with the accents between the the characters and didn’t provide much in the way of emotion for any of the characters in my opinion.  

While the overall concept of the story was cute, and the romance was sweet this one just wasn't for me.

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Review: The Pumpkin Bride by Fiona Buttercup

The Pumpkin Bride by Fiona Buttercup
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

This was adorable! It has the same vibes of Legends and Lattes with regards to cozy fantasy but also reminded me of Shrek with a grumpy orc main character and a princess on the romance side of things. In going back and reading the synopsis prior to writing my review, it is says "Shrek meets The Princess Bride in this cozy, low-stakes romantic fantasy." which is spot on. This is a perfect read for fall or when you just need something sweet and cozy.

Bram is a knight who is trying to gain rank and status to become worthy to marry his true love Princess Marigold. During his last quest, he is cursed and turned into an orc and tethered to a farm. He can't tell anyone of his true identity and is forced to live as Jask Bone-Cracker and with all of the rumors that surround orcs. Several years later after grieving her lost love, Marigold is being forced to marry the same double crossing prince who cause Bram/Jask to become cursed. She doesn't know the truth, but she does know that Prince Crispin is despicable and she can't stand to marry him, so she runs away only to end up on Jask's farm. While Jask is delighted to see his lady love, it is painful not to be able to tell her the truth and he tries to get her to leave. Marigold being a strong personality, overwhelms Jask and does what she wants and stays with him while she is on the run and continues to stay on the farm. While he feels safe and familiar, Marigold gets to know Jask the Orc and a beautiful relationship develops between them.

I loved this cozy fantasy romance. It was filled with farming and baking and felt like a warm fall drink or a cozy blanket. It was a bit spicier than some of the other cozy books I've read, but still mild compared to most romance books. I really liked that Marigold couldn't care less whether Bram was a man or Jask the Orc, she loved both sides of him and while he had his doubts about that she constantly reminded him of that. I also appreciated the small hints that she picked up on throughout her time with Jask that maybe he was Bram but she just couldn't put her finger on why he was so familiar in such a short time. This also had good moments of banter and humor between the characters as well as good conversations that any couple would have be it mundane, a quarrel, or something important.

The narrators of the audiobook were fantastic. They brought not only Bram/Jask and Marigold to life but they brought all of the side characters to life as well. They did such a good job bringing emotion and humor into the audiobook where appropriate which really added to the experience.

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Review: Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy: A Tor Original by Martha Wells

Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy: A Tor Original by Martha Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

I read this about the same time last year in print, and Kevin R. Free's performance is amazing as always and adds something so special to the series as a whole.  This short story is about an hour long on audio (less than 50 pages in print) and follows Perihelion and its crew on a mission shortly after Peri meets Murderbot.  Our favorite SecUnit doesn't appear in the story as this focuses on ART/Peri in the wake of them meeting and how Peri is processing their "feelings" about meeting another intelligent machine/being.

I love Peri/ART and their interactions with Murderbot throughout the series, and in this short story we get to see Peri interact with their crew in this short mission.  If you haven't read the series, this may not make much sense, but long time fans of the series will appreciate this glimpse into Peri's POV.   This made me want to start at the beginning and reread the entire series all over again.

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Review: Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher

Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

This book reads as a complete standalone, however it is connected to book 1 Swordheart and the characters from that book do appear in this.

This follows a unlucky scholar as he transports some books and relic from one temple to another.  Edmund is very bookish so when he is attacked by bandits he isn't much use defending himself.  He  grabs the relic he is transporting which happens to be a sword and finds a warrior standing next to him who must protect him anytime he is in danger.  The surly warrior named the Dervish has been trapped in the sword and is not happy about the curse that put him there.  He is determined to hate everyone who wields the sword, but quickly finds that Edmund is not like every other wielder he has had.  Edmund is kind, curious, smart, sweet, and definitely not his type.

As a learned man, Edmund immediately offers to try to find someone to break the Dervish's curse.  Along their journey to find someone with the knowledge and know how to do so, they encounter a wonderful found family that consists of a giant pill bug named Large Francis and a gnole (kind of like a badger) named Dog Violet who help them out of some crazy situations and add a sense of coziness and humor to the book.  We also meet up with  characters from the previous book who also assist Edmund and Dervish.  The characters are wonderful and the narrator did a wonderful job with the voices for each one.  Each character was narrated with a distinct personality and accent that was so fitting!

I love how Kingfisher can mix humor, fantasy, social commentary, and make it cozy all into one book.  This world is quirky with strange creatures and characters of varying morals and religious beliefs.  I loved the main characters and their little group and while there were emotional parts of their story, I had so much fun going on this adventure with them.  I am looking forward to reading the next one!

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Review: Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, however the book had already been published at the time so I opted to listen to the audiobook.

This book had all of the things I typically like in a fantasy, however it had way too many characters and plot lines to keep track of and I ultimately lost interest quickly. I felt like this book was trying to be both an epic fantasy full of politics and court intrigue while also being a high fantasy filled with magic, action, and lore. There was also social commentary about caste systems, race, and culture. As a fantasy lover I was most interested in the chapters that centered around the magic system and lore because it was so unique and but felt it was lost amongst all the other “stuff” happening. For a book this long I need something to keep me engaged and the constant introduction of new characters with their own motivations didn’t connect me with the characters or keep me interested in their stories.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t for me.

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Review: The Last Day of H.P. Lovecraft

The Last Day of H.P. Lovecraft by Romuald Giulivo
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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

While I enjoyed the art, I felt like the story was not for me. I feel like this will be a big his for fans of Lovecraft's work and those who know more about his life and backstory. As I don't know much about him and his history other than he wrote some weird fiction that inspired an entire subgenre of horror, I didn't connect with this. The story felt almost like A Christmas Carol as HP Lovecraft faces ghosts from his past during his final hours. Instead of changing his miserly ways, he must face his humanity, choices he made, and the legacy he is leaving. While this graphic novel is fiction, it feels almost like a graphic memoir as it pulls facts from Lovecraft's life and stories into the pages.

While this wasn't for me, I think fans of Lovecraft's work or Lovecraftian horror will enjoy this.

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Review: Immortal Rose: A Novel by Alexandra Bracken

Immortal Rose: A Novel by Alexandra Bracken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This was a unique romantasy featuring a perfumer and a spymaster.  Viola has fae heritage and not only does she make wonderful perfumes but she is also able to make scents that have magical properties. Hugh is a high born aristocrat, but he's also a spymaster who likes to know all of the secrets of the kingdom.  

There is alot going on in this book in addition to the slow burn romance that develops between our  main characters.  This starts out slow, then it picks up and there is so much happening.  There is political intrigue, espionage, a fun cast of side characters, and a unique magic system.  Viola has an impossible task to perform in makin a perfume no one knows how to make with ingredients no one can get.  With Hugh's help, she must source the rare ingredients putting her in danger.  While she typically makes perfume to heal or make people feel good, she encounters those who make it to harm.

I will say that the perfume as a magic system didn't feel completely developed.  Viola has the natural ability to smell the scents around her which is helpful in her line of work, but the magical part of her work isn't well explained.  As the last remaining member of her family there isn't anyone to train her, I am hoping that we learn more about her magic and the fairy aspect of the perfume industry in this world in the next book.

This ends on a huge cliffhanger.  It sets things up for the next book and I'm anxious to see what happens next for our couple and those around them.  There are tons of unanswered questions and so many plotlines open.  I thought this was a nice mix of tropes and none outweighed the other. 

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Review: The Divine Gardener's Handbook: Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun by Eli Snow

The Divine Gardener's Handbook: Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun by Eli Snow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This follows the head gardener at the Divine Gardens and an aspiring gardener will ill intentions.  Cyprin longs to enter the gardens to find the man who abandoned her in her time of need, but she also longs for the beauty of the gardens.  Purcell aims for perfection in all that she does, and the pressure is on now that she is head gardener and sees directly to god.

I found this to be confusing at times as the chapters jump from Cyprin to Purcell's POV, but they weren't always seamless.  There are parts of the plot that I still really don't understand and felt like weren't explained well.  The world is unique and the author uses alot of quirky descriptors throughout the book that sometimes made sense and other times didn't quite work.  As for the plot, there is supposed to be a budding romance between Purcell and Cyprin, but they don't like each other.  Saying "she's hot" does not build chemistry or a relationship, and I found that was the case here.  At no point did I feel that they ever truly liked one another.  All of their motivations seemed to be about one upping the other to push the plot forward.  We don't actually get to understand what is really going on with the world and the religious system until the end of the book, then things started to make sense.  

Overall this story just wasn't for me. 

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Review: Make Me: A Second Chance, Marriage of Convenience Romance by Adriana Locke

Make Me: A Second Chance, Marriage of Convenience Romance by Adriana Locke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This follows former flames Mira and Hartley.  They were mentioned or side characters in the prior books, but this reads as a complete standalone.  If you want to get to know the other couples and characters mentioned I highly recommend reading the previous 3 books as they are all equally great!  I love the series and the setting of Sugar Creek.

Mira has moved away and runs her own social media business.  Hartley runs his family farm and hasn't really left their hometown of Sugar Creek.  Losing her parents at a young age has caused a sense of wanderlust in Mira that she hasn't been able to shake.  She never truly dealt with her grief and doesn't really want to or know how.  Her wonderful grandmother, who has always been able to see what Mira needs, decides to meddle a bit and decide to leave Mira an inheritance she can't refuse, but there is a catch.  She and Hartley have to marry and stay married for 1 year.  Grandma is hoping that Mira finally deals with her grief and feelings for Hartley.  Harley has never stopped having feelings for Mira, and the whole town has been trying to get him settled down since Mira left.

I love it when Addy writes a grandparent character into her books, and this one was hit.  Mira's grandma was loving while being funny at the same time.  Because Hartley and Mira grew up together and had a romantic relationship previously, I didn't mind that things picked up quickly when they reunited during their marriage of convenience. It never felt like insta-love or insta-lust, it felt like they naturally fell back into something that was always there after desperately trying and failing to stay apart.  You always knew that they would fall back in love and I appreciated that there wasn't a third act breakup and no miscommunication trope.  This had the authors trademark banter, humor, lovable main and side characters, with a sprinkle of seriousness mixed in.

I loved the narrators.  They were both new narrators for me, but they were wonderful as Mira and Hartley.

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Review: Mary Sue by Meghan Fitzmartin

Mary Sue by Meghan Fitzmartin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This is a compilation of volumes 1-5.  The art is stunning.  The storyline follows introverted teenager Cassie who loves to write fanfiction about her favorite show.  She has has dedicated online fans who love her work and give her feedback as well as friendship that she lacks in real life.  Her mom is worried about her and her school mates think she is strange.  Things do get a bit strange when the main character of her fanfic, a vampire named Jessica shows up in real life and things take off from there.

I'm not a big fanfiction reader, but you don't have to be to enjoy this.  The creators do a great job with the storyline and art to explain what you need to know about fandoms, tropes and anything else to understand what is going on.  I appreciated that they took familiar tropes and character arcs and explained the history of the Mary Sue character and created a whole fantasy world around it.  There is more to this graphic novel than just fanfiction, there is friendship and self-reflection as well.  This does end on quite the cliffhanger and I'm looking forward to seeing where things go with Cassie and Bennett in the future.

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Review: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This is the third book in the series, and while you could probably read this as a standalone, I do recommend reading the series in order as there is information in the first two books that will be helpful in understanding Din and Ana and their abilities and the world they operate in.  Their investigations however are unrelated.  

This particular investigation sees our quirky investigators on a murder investigation that seems cut and dry.  At first glance it doesn't seem to warrant the skills that our pair possess, but given the location of the crime and the families involved they are sent to deescalate and provide an unbiased eye.  The very simple case becomes very convoluted and complex as Din begins asking questions.  Ana's ability to uncover the unseen and strange in a crime uncovers a strange plot involving fungus that no one could have imagined.

I love Din and Ana, and this series just keeps getting better and stranger.  The author masterfully crafts this strange world with wonderful characters.  It is weird and dark at times with just a touch of humor.  I love getting to know Din and Ana a bit more in each book and watching them work together.  We get to know him a bit better in this book as we meet his sister and learn a bit more about his family.  Ana is such a strange character, but she makes me laugh and she is always able to put everything together so neatly in the end.  

I absolutely love this series and can't wait for another installment!

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Review: Jem and the Holograms Book One

Jem and the Holograms Book One by Kelly Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

When I saw this as a review option on the monthly offerings from Boom! I knew I had to read it! As a child of the 80s, I loved Jem and was a loyal watcher of the animated series. This graphic novel takes the beloved characters and storyline and brings it into the present day while giving nods to some favorite pop-culture nods to the 80s. Fans of the 80s and those like myself who grew up in the 80s will appreciate the references to other 80s series and movies.

This begins as an origin story for Jem and the Holograms and sets up the rivalry with the Misfits another already established band. The storyline keeps alot of the elements of the original show, while adding some unique twists and bringing the band into the present day. We have social media and the internet that wasn't even a thought back in the 80s. There are lyrics present on the pages to represent the music we used to get in the show. The graphic novel delves into the relationships between the characters in each of the bands, the music, and the developing rivalry between the

I absolutely loved this. Jem was a staple in my after school routine in the 80s. The art style captures the bright colors from that time and captures the darker punk style to represent the Misfits and the lighter pop rock style to represent the Holograms. This graphic novel made me so happy! I loved the storyline and I can't wait to see what happens in the next volume.

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Review: Bridget & Gabe Are Not Okay by Lex Croucher

Bridget & Gabe Are Not Okay by Lex Croucher
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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

This was a fabulous discussion of mental health and PTSD, that being said this lacked what I loved so much about Gwen & Art Are Not in Love.  This lacked the banter between the characters and the fun personalities that were so present in the first book.  This is appropriately somber given the topics and the aftermath if the battle they fought in the first book.  I was hoping that our two couples while dealing with their struggles of grief, anxiety, stress, and more would show a bit of their former selves especially as they quest for the famed holy grail.  It was quite the deviation from the first book and that really threw me off.

I love a good quest story especially if it deals with Arthurian lore.  This while extremely well written and developed was too slow and too sad for my tastes.  The world around me is too bleak, and I don't personally like reading sad stories right now.  I can deal with a bit of realistic emotion and plot in books, but I need fun and fast paced action to balance that out.  Part of the reason I love fantasy is that provides an escape from reality and this didn't provide the experience I was looking for despite the great social commentary and excellent writing.  This is going to be a smash hit for alot of readers, but as much as this is a great book it didn't land with me the way I had hoped.

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Review: Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan

Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This follows Annie on another investigation, this time she has been called to investigate the death of a snake preacher by his estranged daughter.  His death while not strange as he handled poisonous snakes regularly isn't out of the realm of possibility, everything that followed including the funeral was wrapped up in less than 24 hours.  His daughter wasn't notified and has alot of questions, while they hadn't spoken in years, he was still her father.  Annie, having ties to Appalachia herself, takes the case.

As Annie begins her investigation around the small town she begins to learn that not everything is as cut and dry as it may seem.  Her own memories of growing up in a similar environment begin to surface, especially as she becomes a target and it becomes clear that someone wants to stop the truth of the preacher's death from coming out.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, however I felt this one missed the atmospheric element that The Witch's Orchard had.  You don't need read that book first, the books read as complete standalones.  I did enjoy the tangled mess that the small town aspect the storyline with everyone being in everyone else's business and Annie getting everyone stirred up the more questions she asks.  This also didn't have the folklore aspect that pulled me into the other book, instead it had a dream element that wasn't really explained and a heavy focus on the religious element of the community.

As far as a thriller goes, this felt more procedural and was your standard detective story.  I prefer a little more atmosphere and want to feel a little scared in my thrillers, and this was a bit lacking in that department.  I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes in the future.

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Review: Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik

Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, however I did end up listening to the audiobook borrowed from my library.  As always all opinions are my own.

Based on the synopsis and comparisons I expected to love this book, however I did not.  I'm torn between giving this 1 and 2 stars.  This is supposed to be a romantasy, but there is no chemistry between the main characters and the plot was really lacking to keep me interested in the fantasy side of the storyline.

Riela is a mage who has no control over her magic.  She finds herself in a forced proximity situation with fae king Garrick who can help her learn how to control her power, but all she can think about is sex and how sexy he is.  Garrick thinks she is some kind of spy but can't help but lust after her too.  I didn't really like either of them.  I can see readers who have no interest in fantasy but are here for the spice loving this, but I'm a fantasy lover and I need a plot to keep me interested.  The lack of explanation of the magic, character development, plot, and world building didn't work for me.  

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Review: Twig's Traveling Tomes by Gryffin Murphy

Twig's Traveling Tomes by Gryffin Murphy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

I found this book one night while scrolling Facebook or TikTok from Meg's Tea Room.  She recommends alot of  cozy books, and I believe she has an imprint under Bindery Books.  She was talking about Twig's Traveling Tomes in one of her videos and I immediately went to see where I could find it and it was available for early review.  If you are a fan of cozy fantasy with a found family and cute romance this is a great read.  

This follows Louella Twig, a book witch who may not provide her customers the book they came in asking for, but they always leave with the book they need.  Louella feels more comfortable with her books, but she longs for companionship at times.  She never finished her studies, which causes her magic to  overwhelm her and make socializing uncomfortable sometimes.  When her old mentor and a handsome rouge land in her shop needing her help she finds herself forced to socialize and tackle some uncomfortable situations.  As Louella agrees to help her mentor she finds herself surrounded by new friends and falling for the former thief Everett, and learning that she was always enough just as she was and there was nothing wrong with her magic.

This was a lovely story about self-acceptance and finding your own happy.  This is so warm and cozy and the characters were wonderful.  There is a sweet, slow burn romance between Louella and Everett with some humor mixed in as the group tries to recover the lost grimoire for the cooky wizard.  I loved every minute I spent reading this.

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