Tag Archives: Review

Quick Review: The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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I thought at the end of The Final Gambit that this series wrapped up nicely. I didn’t know what else needed to be said. True, Avery’s journey was wrapped up nicely. She made it a year, inherited the Hawthorne fortune and figured out what she was going to do with that vast wealth. However, Grayson and Jameson’s stories has some work to do. True their relationship with each other have improved. They both still have some major daddy and granddaddy issues to work out. Both of them get intertwined with their father’s families. Jameson’s father shows up out of the blue and wants him to infiltrate a secret club to play a game to reclaim his ancestor’s home. Grayson, who’s father kidnapped Avery and died in the last book has been keeping tabs on his half sisters. He jumps into action when his sister Gigi gets arrested. At first, I wasn’t really all that interested in Grayson and Jameson’s troubles and wondered why that it was necessary but as it went along I started to go with it. Grayson’s sisters Gigi and Savannah are a welcome addition to the story and it’s good to see Grayson have a family that he always wanted whether he admits it or not. Jameson, to be honest, my least favorite of the Hawthorne’s and was a bit bummed that he ended up in Avery but there were moments, I really felt for him. The emotional abuse inflicted on all his brothers by their grandfather is tragic. I do think that Jameson ended in a better place at the end then Grayson did but guess what there is going to be more books. The journey of the Hawthorne brothers continue as Avery is creating a new game for anyone can play and change their fortunes. I do hope that Xander plays more of role in the next book.

Beth Favorite’s Books of 2023!

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It’s that time of the year! Where we look back at all of the books we read this year and pick our favorites. These are my favorite books of 2023. They are in no particular order but in order that I read them.

  1. The Dangerous Damsels series by India Holton – The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, The League of Gentlewoman Witches and The Secret Service of Tea and Treason were such a fun trilogy of books I loved all the prim and proper pirates and witches and their flying houses. It has the perfect mix of romance, hijinks and adventure.
  2. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty – Keeping with the pirate theme. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is such a fun story of piracy, adventure and magic. Unlike most books where the protagonist is young and just starting out, Amina is in her 40’s and well established. She has to come out of retirement for this adventure and not only have battle the present but the past. So much fun.
  3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros – This was the book of the year. I don’t remember the last time that people were excited about the release of a book. The sequel, Iron Flame got the full Midnight release party treatment. Violet has a chronic illness that makes her a poor candidate to be a dragon rider but she’s forced to join by her mom. In a mixture of Hunger Games and Harry Potter. Violet will become a rider if only she can survive, which in this school is not a given. Did I mention there are dragons?
  4. Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade – Spoiler Alert and it’s sequel All the Feels are delightful. This is such a nerd romance. It’s mixture of romance, fandoms and fan fics is irresistible. Who doesn’t dream of meeting a handsome actor and falling in love? Marcus and April are the perfect couple. It’s also so great to have a plus size romantic lead. To often we are forgotten about so it’s great to finally get the guy at the end.
  5. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood – This was another TikTok find. I am a sucker for enemies to lover trope and I guess also the relationship of convenience trope. It was was such a fun read and I was invested from the beginning. I can’t wait to read more from Ali Hazelwood.

Those were mine. I want to hear what books you loved this year! Maybe they will be mine in 2024!

Quick Review: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

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Do not get me wrong. I liked this book but it was a little be a let down from the Fourth Wing. It just didn’t have to same punch as the first book in the series. I couldn’t put the Fourth Wing down but Iron Flame I felt at times dragged on. I felt like it spent too much time at Basigiath and then also too much at Riorson House training. They spent so much time preparing for the battles that by the time we get the battles they are over too soon. That being said. I still am very much enjoying the dynamic between Violet, Tairn and Andarna. Andarna is really the superstar of this book. Who doesn’t love a sassy teenage dragon?! I kinda felt that Violet and Xaden’s relationship took a couple of steps back. What I loved about their relationship in the first book is how much faith and support Xaden gave Violet. Xaden in the first half book, spent hovering and being overprotective. They eventually worked it out but the obsessiveness they both have for each other is borderline creepy. My struggles with this book withstanding, it still is an excellent series and I’m very much invested in it and will be waiting for the next book to come out.

Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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I loved the Hunger Games series but I didn’t rush to read the prequel because I could have cared less about Snow. Before it came out, there were all these rumors about which Hunger Games it would be about and what a disappointment when it turned out to be Snow. There was a time, not so long ago, there was this moment of trying to humanize villains and I didn’t really care to find out what terrible things happen to Snow to turn him evil. An for most of the book, that’s kind of what it was. We met teenage Snow who has been picked to be a Mentor in the 10th Hunger Games. The Capital is still recovering from the war and the Hunger Games hasn’t really caught on with the people. This year, having students be mentor is just one way, they are trying to get people more engaged and make it into what we say 65 years later with Katniss. The Snow family were once a powerful family but lost all of their money when District 13 was destroyed. They only have their name but that might not be enough anymore. His one chance to change their fortunes is to mentor his tribute to win. He is partnered with Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Lucy Gray is a charismatic singer and makes quite an entrance and soon the people of the Capital are rooting for her and Snow is in love. More appropriately obsessed. Long story short, he cheats to help her win and for punishment he’s forced to join the Peacekeepers and sent to the District 12 to be with Lucy Gray. Seeing how things are in the districts should have open his eyes to the injustice but instead it only makes him more Capital. I guess that is the point of the book. It’s not to humanize him but to explain why and how the Hunger Games became to be and how they came more vicious over time. Snow was truly traumatized by the war but instead of working on his own trauma but puts it onto others. LIke Lucy Gray. He doesn’t truly love her. He is jealous anytime someone else talks to her or about her. He becomes angry at the thought of past lovers. He wants to control her like he ends up wanted to control all of Panem. He is a prime example of the worst of Humanity. He comes off looking normal and reasonable but it only covers up their true nature. This wasn’t as compelling as the original series but wasn’t as disappointing as I originally thought it would be.

Review: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

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I am glad that I didn’t know that this started out as a Reylo fanfic because I think that would have ruined it for me. And that would have been a shame because I really enjoyed this book. It was very cute. I wasn’t sure about the whole Professor/PHD student romance at first because that could be fraught with red flags but I thought it was handled well.

Olive is a Phd student who out of nowhere kisses Professor Adam Carlsen to convince her best friend Anh that she is over her ex. She plans a fake relationship with Adam in hopes that Anh will feel okay dating her ex. Adam goes along with it because well Stanford is withholding some of his financing because they believe he’s about to leave. So they make plans to date for a period of time but of course they fall in love. In between their witty banter and back and fourth’s Olive is also looking for funding. Her mentor is retiring and is already kinda checked out. So she is seeking new labs to keep working on her research. Of course this comes with a whole bunch of complications, mostly stemming from she is a woman in the STEM field.

It’s pretty clear from the get go that Olive and Adam have chemistry. That it’s not just a work proposition that is keeping them together. They help each other help and help each other grow. I really liked reading them as a couple. If I had one qualm about was how it ended. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that the slimy guy gets it but it also felt rushed to me. Other than that I found it to be delightful and I look forward to reading more Ali’s books.

Review: Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu

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This was a fun book. Winter is the biggest pop star in the world. He also happens to be the favorite singer of the daughter of one of the most dangerous men in the world. So when Winter gets invited to play her birthday party it is the opening that Sydney, a covert operative for an agency that does what the CIA won’t. Which if you know the CIA’s history that’s some real shit. Sydney poses as Winter’s bodyguard as they try to infiltrate the bad guys inter-circle to get the evidence needed to finally take him down. One problem. Sydney and Winter don’t really like each other. Well mostly Sydney doesn’t like Winter. She just thinks he’s just another spoiled rich, famous person and she doesn’t like being saddled with him on this mission. Of course the more time they spend with each the more they start to find they like each other. Maybe even love each other. The mission gets complicated and the must work together to survive. Everything you need in a spy romance novel. I loved it and I can’t wait for when they make the movie and cast a real C-Pop star. I could also see them trying to tap the Hallyu wave and change Winter to Korean and cast a K-Pop or Korean actor because why not. I don’t even know if there is a movie or TV show in the works but this would make a great one and with sequels on the way. It will have more material to work with.

Review: Spoiler Alert and All the Feels by Olivia Dade

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Spoiler Alert and All the Feels are delightful. Spoiler Alert we meet Marcus Caster-Rupp is an actor on the most popular show on TV. A Game of Thrones type show based on the Illiad. He sees a fan being bullied online for her weight so he asks her out on a date. He doesn’t realize that April Whittier just happens to be beta reader for his secret double life as fan fic writer. Of course he’s immediately falls in love with her but can’t say anything because if word got out about his fics criticizing his show it could ruin his career. So he keeps it a secret from her but as you know it’s going to come out. April is an intelligent woman but is a little shy when it comes to love because a big girl she hasn’t had the best experiences. Dating as someone as famous as Marcus is a challenge in own right because it won’t stay private for long and people are not kind to fat women. This was such a wonderful story and I loved every second of it. I do love reading about two grown people falling in love. More of this please.

Which brings me to All the Feels. This one follow’s Marcus’ co-star Alex Woodroe who is the life of the party but also a little bit of a wildcard. When he gets in a bar fight the last week of filming, the producers hire a baby sitter to keep in check until the show airs. Lauren Clegg was supposed to be on vacation when her cousin and producer hires her to watch Alex. She moves into his guests house and of course they fall in love but things don’t go smoothly. They both have secrets and insecurities they have to work through until they can move on. Alex is that guy that everyone is friends with and Lauren is okay just staying at home. Opposites attract and boy do they. I think I liked this book better than the Spoiler Alert but they are both incredible. I can’t wait to read the third book.

Quick Review: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera

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This was lovely. I really enjoyed reading about Luz Alana and Evan’s romance. It just was the fluffy romance I was looking for. Luz Alana is an heiress to a Rum fortune from the Dominican Republic. She and her 2 best friends and younger sister have come to Paris to expand her Rum into the European markets during the World’s fair. However, not many men are willing to do business with a women. Meet Evan, a Scottish Earl, who has his own Whiskey distillery. They both need to get married and quickly. She needs a husband to get back her inheritance. He needs to be married to gain full control of this distillery. So they agree to temporary get married until they both get what they want and part ways. Of course, they fall in love and well you know how it goes. Marriage of convenience is not my favorite trope but it works for this novel. Luz and Evan compliment each other very well. Her spirit and stubbornness challenges Evan and Evan’s support is what Luz needs. Despite coming from different places they really understand each other compliment each other and I could not be happier they found each other.

Quick Review: Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

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I don’t know where to begin with this one because it’s not easy to describe it. It says it’s based on Antony and Cleopatra, which is not a Shakespeare play I am familiar with. We have 3 main characters. Princess Calla who is in hiding, Prince August who is the heir to the throne and Anton, a former quartier who has been exiled. Once a year, the Kingdom of Talin sponsors a hunger games style competition that the winner wins money and an audience with the king. Calla and Anton both enter for different reasons and August makes it possible for them to compete for his own reasons. Basically everyone wants to get rid of the King.

This book was a little hard for me to get into. Some people have the ability to transfer their consciousness into other people’s bodies and while many people can do it, it’s also kinda illegal? The whole concept I found to be confusing and after awhile I just kinda just went with it because while it was important to the stories, it is a small part to the story. I liked the characters and they all have valid reasons for doing what they are doing. I immediately picked up on the twist ending and I’m intrigued as to how this play out in the next book.

Quick Review: Theonite: Planet Adyn by M.L. Wang

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This was a fun book. Joan is a little 13 year old She has powers that no one else has and no one really to talk to about it or would understand. Daniel comes from an alternate universe and does have powers but is new to Joan’s world. Joan is excited to meet Daniel because she finally has someone to ask questions to and maybe get some answers to why she has these powers but it can’t be that simple. Daniel and his father are there to track down a dangerous person and that threat has come for Joan too. Will they escape in time?

Reading about Joan’s life was definitely heartbreaking. Here is a smart girl who feels that she has to hide herself away because no one understands her and will only dismiss her. Her parents are more concerned with their own troubles to really pay attention to her. She has mastered the skill of being invisible. The way she lights up when she discovers that Daniel might have similar powers and finally some answers is so pure and just shows how lonely she has been. I can only hope that she finds what she needs in the sequel.