Review: Not My Match by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Not My Match by Ilsa Madden-Mills
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

This is the second book in the Game Changer's series, but it can be read as a standalone.  There are some mentions of events that take place in Not My Romeo, which will make more sense if you read that first, however the author gives you enough background for it all to make sense.  I loved Not My Romeo and highly recommend you read as well, and it is on sale for 99 cents for a limited time.  Not My Match comes out on Tuesday January 19, 2021.  Go grab book 1 while it is on sale and get caught up on Jack and Elena's story before Devon and Giselle's story releases.  You can thank me later.

 

This follows brainy and inexperienced Giselle on her quest to finish her masters degree and PHD in Physics as well as find a suitable partner in life.  So far she has be unlucky in love and as her next birthday approaches, she is sure that the "birthday curse" is going to strike yet again.  Every year around her birthday something terrible happens and this year is no different, the only exception is that extremely hot football player Devon is there to rescue her and help her put the pieces of her life back together as it is falling apart.  Devon is Jack's best friend.  If you have read Not My Romeo, you will remember Jack as the leading man from that book, and you will know that Jack is married to Giselle's sister Elena.  This takes place directly after Jack and Elena's wedding, while they are on their honeymoon.  Jack, as the quarterback of the local football team, looks at Giselle as his own sister and has told the team to stay away from her, so when Devon finds himself undeniably attracted to her he tries to push her away.   Unfortunately, Giselle is having a crappy week and Devon offers to help her out with a place to stay after her house burns down. 

 

This is a fairly slow burn as Devon tries to stay away from Giselle, but after listening to her sci-fi romance that she's writing and getting to know her, eventually they can't deny what is between them.  I actually appreciated the slower burn between them as it forced them to get to know each other.  Both of the characters have some baggage to deal with, and they both had to lay their feelings on the table for this to work in the end.  I also really loved that the author addressed the  male chauvinism in STEM, there aren't enough brilliant women in STEM and the old fashioned "boys club" mentality has to go. 

 

I also love the Daisy Lady Gang.  This book has wonderful side characters and I hope to see more of them in the next book.  I expect Aiden, the up and coming quarterback and Jack's frenemy to get a book in the near future.  If you like a good slow, burn romance, with great characters, a little bit of humor, and some mild angst make sure to pick this up when it comes out.

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Review: The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly

The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this.  It is filled with political intrigue, magic, and a strong female lead who will do anything to save her people.  I really liked the magic system in this, it is fairly straightforward and uncomplicated.  Much of it seems to be up to the user to explore their limits and see what they can do.  I hope we learn more about the magic in book 2.  There is a ton of political posturing that takes place and our leading lady Askia has to learn to play the game fairly quickly if she wants to win over the court of the Vishiri to gain enough allies to get them to go to war with her.  You see Askia's crown was taken from her and she has traveled south to the Empire of Vishir to ask for aid to win it back from the false king and his puppet master the mad yet powerful emperor of Roven.  Askia wants to fight for her people and finds the politics a waste of time, but she receives council that if she wants help she will need to win over those who control the troops and have the ear of the Emperor of Vishir.  The longer she remains at court, she learns who she can trust and who she cannot.  She also begins training to use her own magic, which she has hidden for a long time for her own safety.  

Unlike most books with lots of characters I was able to keep them all straight and never lose track of who was who.   This isn't told in alternating perspectives which helps.  This is a bit slower paced than I prefer in my fantasy novels however it is so politically heavy that the pace fits the plot.  I expect that the next book is going to have a lot more action and we'll see a quicker pace as things being to happen based on how this book ended.  It does end on a tiny cliffhanger, but I think we all saw it coming and it wasn't that big of a surprise.  The world building was excellent.  The visuals were well described without being overly verbose.  There are hints of romance in this but it doesn't take center stage.  I suspect we will see more of the romance in book 2 as Askia's true feeling are revealed and the players and their motivations change.

Overall I really enjoyed this and I cannot wait for the next book.  I am dying to know what happens to Askia and the rest of the characters in the book.

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Review: Reputation by Adriana Locke

Reputation by Adriana Locke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.  This book was published yesterday and is available on Amazon.  I'll put the links at the bottom of the post.

I first met Coy and Bellamy in The Relationship Pact, and while their interaction in that book was short, it was enough to pull you into their story and want to know what happened between.  The snark was on another level.  This book starts out that way with the snark level through the roof, and the banter between Coy and Bellamy is great!  Coy, a famous country western singer, is home hiding out after a PR disaster and is trying to figure out what he wants to do next with his life and career.  Bellamy is the girl next door and used to be one of his best friends.  At some point they were more, but something happened and now she hates him and he isn't quite sure why.  When Bellamy's charge Bree literally throws a curveball into Coy's face, the two are forced to spend some time together when Coy offers to teach the little girl how to pitch and play piano.  Bellamy is not happy about the situation but when forced to choose between her nanny job and allowing Bree to spend a few hours with Coy she caves.

This is a story about misunderstandings, grief, emotion, love and so much more.  Bellamy and Coy used to be best friends and more, but neither of them is very good about communicating what they want or how they feel, especially when it comes to each other.  They have some unresolved baggage from their past that has caused quite the rift in their relationship.  Unfortunately, they both have a lot going on in their lives at the moment and despite the fact that they love each other, they aren't quite sure how to make it work when they need to be in two different places.  Fortunately for both of them, they have a strong support system and get some pretty great advice from their friends and family.   This just proves that good communication and understanding what your partner needs is so important in a relationship.

I loved the characters in this.  Because they had been friends for so long before hand we bypass the instalove and settle in to an easy going banter session full of memories and feelings.  The Mason family is awesome and I can't wait to get to know all of them.

Purchase links:

AVAILABLE NOW!! FREE in Kindle Unlimited! 

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BLOG TOUR: Reputation by Adriana Locke

     

 

  REPUTATION (Mason Family #2) by Adriana Locke Release Date: January 5th  

 

  AVAILABLE NOW!! FREE in Kindle Unlimited! 

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3pNrMjJ 

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3ocOGR7 

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/3pJPDk2 

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/3863OKi    

    

  Add to Goodreads: https://geni.us/Ccy4  

     

  Blurb: 

Coy Mason is a jerk. If there is one truth that Bellamy Davenport knows, it’s that. Hands-down. (Well, that and the fact that she didn’t mean to hurt him. Physically. Coy can’t be hurt emotionally because he doesn’t have a heart.) Coy is not just the small-town, literal boy-next-door. He’s a heartbreaking, womanizing, mischief-making (and delicious) man and was all of those things well before he became a hot-shot country music sensation. He’s a dream standing in her doorway with no shirt, messy hair, and a ‘Do you wanna?’ grin. But he’s also a nightmare for her heart and she knows it. Their enemies-to-lovers relationship always ends the same way—heavy on the enemies, light on the lovers. So why is she still standing there?  

   

About the Author: 

USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own. She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather's nice and there's always a piece of candy in her pocket.

 

  Connect w/Adriana: 

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Review: Lore by Alexandra Bracken

Lore by Alexandra Bracken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  This comes out on January 5th, 2021.  If you like Greek Mythology you need to check this out. Also if you liked The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner this is a good one to check out as it is action packed!

I loved this!  Despite being a touch on the side of too long, it kept my interest the entire time.  Everytime my attention started to stray, Bracken threw in some morsel of information or a twist to peak my interest and get me re-energized and back into the story.  If you are a lover of Greek Mythology, you are going to really enjoy this YA standalone.   

This follows Melora aka Lore who has renounced her part in the Agon as the last surving member of her bloodline.  As the Agon begins again she is reunited with her best friend whom she believed to be dead in the last Agon and she finds herself pulled back into a life she wanted nothing to do with.  As fragile alliances are formed and Lore struggles to keep those she cares about safe until the end of the Agon she can't help but remember the heinous crimes done to her in the past and the person she used to be.

This book has it all, a complex plot, non-stop action, great references to Greek Mythology (which I love), and great characters.  Each time I thought I had the plot figured out the author threw us another twist to keep things interesting.  I really enjoyed the take on the original mythology and gods she choose to use and the creation of the Agon as punishment for their meddling and destruction in the human world.  I also appreciated seeing a strong female lead who called out some of the misogynistic tendencies we've seen in these stories of old.  It was nice to see the old ways challenged and the God of War bested by the same "little girl".  I also loved the other characters.  Castor, Van and Miles all kept Lore grounded and they never compromised themselves for the Agon.  I really appreciated the inner turmoil Lore faced throughout the book regarding revenge, killing other, returning to the Agon, and ending the Agon completely.  She constantly struggled with her feelings and we actually got to see it on the page.  I really enjoyed her growth throughout the book.

I believe this is intended for a YA audience, but much like the Greek myths it is pretty violent and dark at times.  There is alot of violence and death in this book, which is inline with the subject matter.  It is no worse than The Hunger Games or the actual Greek myths so if you are OK with reading those I would say you'll be OK with this.  

I loved this and if you have loved Bracken's other books or like mythology I really think you'll love this too!  So why not 5 stars?  I'd give it 4.5 if I could.  It is a touch on the long side, but it is worth it.  The ending is a bit open ended.  I won't spoil it but I would have liked a bit more of a conclusion about what happened.  An epilogue would have been nice to wrap things up completely, and perhaps there is one in final version.  I'll have to check when it comes out in a few days.  I'll be buying a copy of this for myself for sure!

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Review: Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 4

Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 4 by Dianna Love
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review.

This is book 4 in the novella series and Daegan and the gang are still fighting frantically against the Imortik invasion.  This installment moves several of the storylines ahead and introduces a few new ones.  The players are all still searching for the grimoires for different means, but Daegan hasn't given up on his Beladors and he has formed a new bond with Casidhe.  As the clock runs out, the Beladors must also continue to fight off demons in Atlanta while also staying hidden to the humans who are anxious to eliminate anything supernatural.

Much like the previous installments, there is alot going on in this book.  This leaves you wanting the next book right away because this sets up so many events to come.  We learn a bit more about what all the characters are up both on both sides and get a glimpse of where things are heading as the series progresses.  I'm really enjoying this monthly release, but if you are more of a novel person, I'd wait for the bigger bind ups or until the series is finished later in 2021.

I'd like to see Cashidhe's character mature a bit as the series progresses.  She acts very immaturely in this book.  I thought we were past that in the last book, but I'm hoping events in the future books will be more than enough to teach her who she should actually trust going forward.  As for the other characters, I'm intrigued by Lanna and I'm excited we are getting to know her more and what is in store for her.  I'm really looking forward to seeing where the rest of this adventure takes us.

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Teaser: Reputation by Adriana Locke

 

  REPUTATION by Adriana Locke Release Date: January 5th Preorder: https://geni.us/Qm2tRj3   Add to Goodreads: https://geni.us/Ccy4   Sign up to receive an email when it's live: https://geni.us/AmazonAlert Or text the word Adriana to 21000 (US numbers only)  

   

  Blurb: Coy Mason is a jerk. If there is one truth that Bellamy Davenport knows, it’s that. Hands-down. (Well, that and the fact that she didn’t mean to hurt him. Physically. Coy can’t be hurt emotionally because he doesn’t have a heart.) Coy is not just the small-town, literal boy-next-door. He’s a heartbreaking, womanizing, mischief-making (and delicious) man and was all of those things well before he became a hot-shot country music sensation. He’s a dream standing in her doorway with no shirt, messy hair, and a ‘Do you wanna?’ grin. But he’s also a nightmare for her heart and she knows it. Their enemies-to-lovers relationship always ends the same way—heavy on the enemies, light on the lovers. So why is she still standing there?  

 

About the Author: 

USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own. She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather's nice and there's always a piece of candy in her pocket.

 

  Connect w/Adriana: 

Website: https://adrianalocke.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoradrianalocke 

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/booksbyadrianalocke 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authoralocke 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoradrianalocke 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8379774.Adriana_Locke 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ivy7xd 

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/adriana-locke 

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