Review: Guardians of Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones

Guardians of Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided both a print and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a fun YA fantasy novel inspired by East Asian culture.  I do believe this is the beginning of a new series by the author.  This ends nicely and closes out this first adventure with Zhara and her companions, but sets us up well for the next installment.  There is still much to learn about the magic and the other characters but we aren't left with a huge cliffhanger.  I am interested to see where the story goes in the future.

This follows Zhara, a magician in hiding in a world where magic is forbidden.  Her father was executed for being a magician and her step mother has hidden her away.  She fills a sort of Cinderella role in her household doing the cooking and cleaning, but she also has a job outside of the home.  Her stepmother is not a nice person and treats both Zhara and her own daughter poorly.  Zhara doesn't know how to control her magic, so when she accidentally comes into contact with a secret organization that protects magicians and is trying to protect the people from a strange blight taking over the land she quickly learns that her magic might be the only thing that can save them.  She also has a chance encounter with an handsome boy, who isn't who he seems. Han's little brother is also a magician, and he is seeking the help of the Guardians of Dawn, the secret organization, to help protect his brother.  Han and Zhara quickly strike up a friendship that shows signs of turning into more.  They team up with the Guardians and other allies to figure out what is happening and figure out how they can save those with magic within the realm and prevent the blight from spreading.

This was a little on the slow paced side for my tastes.  This was a bit juvenile for my liking.  This is YA and the characters are teenager, but they read more like middle schoolers from their maturity and naivety at times.  Zhara is constantly giggling every time Han is around, and their romance was a bit cheesy.    This was definitely a case of I felt like I was not the audience for this book.  The magic system on the other hand was interesting and I enjoyed the plotline.  

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Review: On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This follows Everly, a plus sized artist who has lost her way after the death of her beloved grandmother.  Everly is a talented artist and she used to have big dreams.  Without her biggest cheerleader by her side, Everly has chosen to hide behind neutral colors and no longer take risks.  She can't fail if she never tries for anything beyond her perfectly average existence.  When someone nominates her for a reality TV show On the Plus Side that focuses on giving plus sized guests not only a wardrobe makeover but a life makeover, Everly is given the opportunity to revisit the girl she has hidden away and redefine her happiness.  

This was such a heartwarming book.  I loved going on Everly's journey of rediscovering herself and figuring out what she wants to do with her life.  I found her story to be very relatable, and I loved watching her go from feeling like she was "too much" to feeling just the right amount through the support of her friends and the sweet romance she developed with Logan.  I also loved that she got to define happiness for herself despite what she looked like.  No one should close themselves off to make other people feel comfortable, and she faced that on her journey.  It was so awesome to see her transform into someone who could advocate for herself in both personal and professional situations and throw caution to the wind a little bit here and there.  This had great banter and side characters to add some humor and fun to a book that deals with some heavy topics.

Overall, I really enjoyed this.  If you are a fan of the show What Not to Wear, this has a similar vibe.  I'm not a big reality TV show person, but I loved that show.  This had a fun romcom element, but also dealt with some very real issues.  This is my first book by the author but I'm looking forward to reading more!

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Review: In Mint Condition: A Me Too Mystery by M.L. Ortega

In Mint Condition: A Me Too Mystery by M.L. Ortega
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an interesting cozy mystery. I was interested in picking this up after having read Shampoo & Condition by the author a few months ago. This is novella length (around 150 pages) and follows the same characters from the first book on another murder investigation. I don't believe you need to read the books in order, the the same characters are involved in unrelated cases. This reads like a standalone or what I consider a companion novel in a series.

This follows Jane and Maggie as they happen to find yet another dead body and insert themselves into the investigation. It almost felt like there were two different stories being told and they were connected by the victim.

Parts of this feel a bit far fetched, but if you like cozy mysteries you are here for the entertainment factor not the technical details of a police procedural. While this is pretty clean it does mention past trauma that Maggie experienced, so it may be triggering for some readers.

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Review: Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

I'm not really sure what I just read.  This book was one of those very confusing story within a story and you aren't really sure what is actually happening and what is happening to the characters and what is happening in the internal story.  This is told a bit out of order, which is not my preferred style of storytelling and it adds to the confusion of what is happening.  This seems to be a common trait with Wards books, Little Eve was also told with an out of order timeline.  This book also haphazardly switches points of view.  I'm all for misleading the reader in a thriller, but the random switching of narrator and the disjointed writing style didn't work for me.  I don't feel like all of elements came together in the end.

I found this to be very slow paced.  I prefer my thrillers to be more faced paced and action packed.  I never really got a suspenseful feeling from this, perhaps because I had no idea what was going on the entire time I was reading this.  There were a couple of interesting plot twists, but at no time did I ever feel that any of the characters were in any real danger from anything sinister.  There are some gruesome descriptions in the book in relation to some of the plot points.

This book isn't going to be for everyone, but I think some readers are going to absolutely love it.  If you are looking for a uniquely told coming of age thriller/horror novel I'd give this a try. If you liked Sundial or Little Eve I think you will enjoy this.  They both have elements that are similar in both the way the story is told and the atmosphere.

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Review: The Love Plot by Samantha Young

The Love Plot by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided and ARC of this book via Netgalley from the author, the publisher, and Valentine PR. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

I'm torn between giving this 4 & 5 stars. This was such a wonderful book, I loved Star and Rafe!

Did you know you can pay people to sit in line for you? Well that's what Star does when she is not dressing up as a princess or another character for a party or event. Star doesn't want much in life other than to be happy. She makes enough from her 2 jobs to cover expenses and support her lifestyle, she has a great groups of friends that act as her family and she doesn't really need much more than that. Enter Rafe Whitman...he is a veterinarian who give Star all kinds of feelings that she is not interested in. Rafe makes a poor first impression on Star at his nieces birthday party where she is performing as a princess. Rafe has it all, the looks, a successful veterinary practice, a trust fun, what he doesn't have is a steady relationship. While that isn't an issue for him, it is an issue for his mother and his sister in law who keep playing matchmaker. Star is his opposite in every way, so he proposes that they fake date to keep his family off of his back. Star is of course hesitant at first, but it will support her dreams of travelling and she decides to go along with it.

Star and Rafe couldn't have come from more different family backgrounds and that quickly becomes clear as they being their fake relationship ruse. What neither of them expected is that they would actually like one another. Star quickly becomes friends with Rafe's younger sister Gigi who is fun and eclectic. Rafe who is typically grumpy starts to smile a bit more and have a little fun. Star was brought up to believe that traditional relationships aren't natural so when Rafe turns the tables on her, she wants to run for the hills. She also doesn't want to put a wedge between him and his family because her free spirited ways are so different from their traditional ones.

This had wonderful character development. We get to see Star go through quite a bit. Some of her turmoil was self-imposed while some was not. She was doing what she thought was the right thing, even though no one asked her to. She made changes to her appearance and lifestyle because she thought it would make things better for other people, when it made her and the people who loved her miserable in the end. This was such a good lesson in being yourself and not pretending to be someone else for someone else. The lack of communication about what was going on between our couple could have prevented some of this, but that is actually pretty realistic when it comes to relationships. How many times do you tell your partner "Its fine" when it really isn't?

I really loved this grumpy-sunshine, opposites attract romance. It had great banter, which is something I love about Samantha Young's books. This has a moderate spice level. There are some spicy scenes but they aren't over the top and they don't overtake the book. If you are a fan of the author or romance in general I think you are going to enjoy this. It is low on the angst factor and I really fell in love with the characters.

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RELEASE BLITZ: The Proposal by Adriana Locke

 

An unexpected proposal occurs when a Vegas oops marriage turns into a marriage of convenience between a rugby player and his best friend's little sister.

The Proposal by Adriana Locke is now live! 

Breaking News: Rugby’s bad boy marries his best friend’s little sister

If Renn Brewer would’ve asked me to marry him, I would’ve said no.

Why?

One, his reputation precedes him. His name is in the headlines at least once a month. Two, he’s not just my brother’s best friend. They’re teammates. And three, I’m in my self-care era. 

Unfortunately, a version of me equates self-care with bad choices.

The cocktail in my hand—similar to the one that got me into this situation—is the prettiest shade of pink. It’s almost the same color as the giant rock on my left hand. And instead of discussing an annulment, I’m considering a 90-day marriage of convenience to the man I accidentally married in Las Vegas.

Renn didn’t propose marriage. But he does deliver a proposal I might be unable to turn down.

  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://bit.ly/43D5Snn

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TheProposalAL

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3J9vq3t

Meet Adriana

USA Today and Amazon Charts Bestselling author, Adriana Locke, writes contemporary romances about the two things she knows best—big families and small towns. Her stories are about ordinary people finding extraordinary love with the perfect combination of heart, heat, and humor.

She loves connecting with readers, fall weather, football, reading alpha heroes, everything pumpkin, and pretending to garden.

Hailing from a tiny town in the Midwest, Adriana spends her free time with her high school sweetheart (who she married over twenty years ago) and their four sons (who truly are her best work). Her kitchen may be a perpetual disaster, and if all else fails, there is always pizza.

 

Connect with Adriana 

Website: www.adrianalocke.com

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

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Adriana-Locke/author/B00NPBY8FE/

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Review: Legends & Lattes

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much!!!!  

I bought the ebook, prior to this getting picked up by Tor just as it was gaining momentum and the hype was building up.  For me it lived up to all of my expectations and all of the hype.  This was so wonderful.  Sometimes you need a heartwarming story and this was it!

While filled with fantasy characters, this is filled with a wonderful found family as Viv, a retired orc warrior, sets up a coffee shop in a small town.  No one has ever heard of coffee before, which was an interesting twist.  "Hot bean water" as Cal dubs it, is a major part of my morning routine, and I loved the wonder that coffee brought to Viv and the inhabitants of the town.  Baldree really captured the essence of a quaint coffee shop and the various types of patrons you get from the person who doesn't buy anything but works all day, to the struggling musician working for tips, and so many more.  Viv and her crew built a wonderful place to congregate and share a warm beverage and a delicious baked good.

This was such a lovely book!  I can't wait for the sequel.  My ebook is older so it doesn't have the short story, but I listened to the audiobook which does.  It gives some insight into Viv's discovery of coffee and the beginnings of her shop.  It was super cute as well.  Baldree is also a wonderful narrator.  

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