Category: Reviews

Review: The Way You Make Me Feel

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Synopsis: Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, the KoBra, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. Not the carefree summer Clara had imagined. But maybe Rose isn’t so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet (yes, Hamlet) crushing on her is pretty cute. Maybe Clara actually feels invested in her dad’s business. What if taking this summer seriously means that Clara has to leave her old self behind?

With Maurene Goo’s signature warmth and humor, The Way You Make Me Feel is a relatable story of falling in love and finding yourself in the places you’d never thought to look.

I’ve wanted to pick up one of Maurene Goo’s books for quite a while, so I was glad to finally get to this one. While it was often pitched as a contemporary romance, I feel it is so much more than that. It explores aspects of all different types of relationships whether they be friendships, romantic relationships or family relationships. The characters on the surface are simple, but Goo gives them depth and individuality that is refreshing. The way they play off each other and the ways that different characters grow and change, Clara especially.

Clara is a little unlikable at the beginning, but as the book progresses her motivations and reasons for her behavior become more apparent. She’s been very careful to distance herself from things to keep from truly getting hurt and watching as she slowly lets more people in and changes is wonderful.

There were a ton of moments that made me laugh and the banter between the characters were priceless. It’s own voices for Korean representation, which I love (my partner is Korean so anything featuring Korean characters, culture, history or mythology is pretty much auto-buy for me). Overall it’s a wonderful story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Also as a sidenote, how gorgeous is that cover? I’m in love with pretty much all her covers.

Happy reading!

Review: Build Yourself a Boat

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Build Yourself a Boat
2019 National Book Award Nominee

Synopsis: This is about what grows through the wreckage. This is an anthem of survival and a look at what might come after. A view of what floats and what, ultimately, sustains.

Build Yourself a Boat, an innovative debut by award-winning poet Camonghne Felix, interrogates generational trauma, the possibility of healing, and the messiness of survival.

Build Yourself a Boat redefines the language of collective and individual trauma through lyric and memory.

I picked this one up hoping that I would be able to find more contemporary poetry that I enjoyed and I was not disappointed. In this collection Felix explores a wide range of topics that could be very triggering or hard to read. Her writing is very raw and heavy, but in my opinion her voice is clear.

The styles of her poems do vary, but perfectly fit their subject matter and as you progress through the collection you can see the story that she weaves through her words. The content is very charged and speaks of pain and struggle, packed with so much emotion it will take your breath away.

If you’re sensitive to subjects such as sexual assault, self harm, suicide and harsh language, keep in mind that there’s definite trigger warnings for those subjects and more before picking this up. It can be difficult read, but there needs to be more literature and poetry that touches on the hard subjects because they shouldn’t be ignored.

Happy reading!

Review: Summer Frost

DeAnne1 Comment

A video game developer becomes obsessed with a willful character in her new project, in a mind-bending exploration of what it means to be human by the New York Times bestselling author of Recursion.

Maxine was made to do one thing: die. Except the minor non-player character in the world Riley is building makes her own impossible decision—veering wildly off course and exploring the boundaries of the map. When the curious Riley extracts her code for closer examination, an emotional relationship develops between them. Soon Riley has all new plans for her spontaneous AI, including bringing Max into the real world. But what if Max has real-world plans of her own?

Overall I really enjoyed this novella that is an interesting spin on the trope of AI becoming too sentient and evolved and wreaking havoc while they try to take over. It’s a constantly debated question as to how smart is too smart for technology.

This story follows Riley, a programmer and Max and AI that was originally an NPC in a video game that somehow changed the game and became their own entity. Riley is obsessed and constantly testing how Max can learn and just how much they can evolve. Her obsession is dangerous and drastically changes her life.

Part of me feels as if this could have been longer, but the rest of me feels it was the perfect length. It was a short, succinct tale that is cautionary in a lot of ways. Could the characters have had more backstory and development? Absolutely, but they didn’t necessarily always need it.

Even though it is short, Blake Crouch’s signature twists and turns are still there and there were definitely a few that kept me guessing. If you like his writing you will probably really enjoy this as well.

Happy reading!

Review: Hunted

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Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

I’m a sucker for Beauty and the Beast retellings, though I know the market is currently over saturated with them, I still reach for them. Hunted has been on my shelf ever since it came out, so it was past time I picked it up. I’m SO glad I did and am a little mad at myself for waiting so long.

In a lot of ways the story of this book is very close to the original story line of Beauty and the Beast, but I felt that there was enough deviation to make it a unique story. The major plot points we know from the original fairy tale are there, but often with a spin on them. The backdrop and mythos she creates for her version of the story are full of depth and richly told.

I hesitate to call anything a strict favorite, but this may definitely be my number one retelling of Beauty and the Beast, plus it makes me eager to read more from Meagan Spooner and see if I enjoy her other works as much.

Happy reading!

Review: The Girl Who Drank the Moon

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Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster named Glerk and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, Fyrian. Xan rescues the abandoned children and deliver them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey. 

One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. To keep young Luna safe from her own unwieldy power, Xan locks her magic deep inside her. When Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, her magic begins to emerge on schedule–but Xan is far away. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Soon, it is up to Luna to protect those who have protected her–even if it means the end of the loving, safe world she’s always known.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this story and it’s mixed cast of characters. We are following multiple perspectives in this story and the way Barnhill weaves each of those perspectives together is beautifully done. Each character has a purpose and a different journey that they must take which is leading them to the climax of the plot. All of the characters are wonderfully sketched out and easily recognized, at least when talking about the main characters.

The world building and backstory was revealed in bits and pieces, which at times could be frustrating, but in the end all came together. There were definitely points where I wanted a little more, but it’s a wonderful coming of age story that addresses many aspects of mob mentality, fear and other difficult topics. The fantastical setting helps to soften these subjects and make them more digestible to a younger audience.

Happy reading!

Review: Swipe Right For Murder

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Synopsis: On the run from the FBI.
Targeted by a murderous cult.
Labeled a cyber-terrorist by the media.
Irritated texts from his best friend.
Eye contact with a nice-looking guy on the train.
Aidan has a lot to deal with, and he’s not quite sure which takes top priority.

Finding himself alone in a posh New York City hotel room for the night, Aidan does what any red-blooded seventeen-year-old would do—he tries to hook up with someone new. But that lapse in judgement leads to him waking up next to a dead guy, which sparks an epic case of mistaken identity that puts Aidan on the run from everyone—faceless federal agents, his eccentric family, and, naturally, a cyber-terrorist group who will stop at nothing to find him.

He soon realizes the only way to stop the chase is to deliver the object everyone wants, before he gets caught or killed. But for Aidan, the hardest part is knowing who he can trust not to betray him—including himself.

I didn’t know what to expect with this book just picked it up based on premise alone. It was a fun and twisted ride of betrayal, mistaken identities and a deadly terrorist group which may have had a noble cause at one point early on, but has become twisted.

I loved the friend group in this book, everyone in Aidan’s inner circle truly cared about him and accepted him as he was. Those moments were some of my favorite in the book. I also truly enjoyed the fast paced nature of the book, it was almost non-stop and keeps you guessing the whole time. The author does a really good job of making you wonder if you can truly trust anyone.

You do have to suspend disbelief with this book, but that’s ok. If you’re looking for a sometimes sassy, sometimes hilarious crime adventure, you should definitely check this one out.

Happy reading!

Review: The Missing Barbegazi

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Synopsis: Tessa has heard her grandfather’s stories about the fabled barbegazi since she was little. Now, after his death, she’s determined to see the gnome-like creatures for herself and prove her grandfather wasn’t just a confused old man.

When Tessa discovers Gawion, a young male barbegazi, she’s overjoyed. She can finally show everyone that her grandfather was telling the truth. But Gawion needs her help. His sister is missing and may have been captured by humans. As the two form a friendship, Tessa realizes that uncovering the truth about the barbegazi carries great responsibilities—and sometimes things have to remain a secret.

This was such a cute story! In it we follow Tessa who is dealing with the recent loss of her grandfather and is desperately trying to find evidence of the barbegazi, who he swore saved him years ago from an avalanche. We also follow a family of barbegazis who are dealing with the disappearance of one of their family members.

The book is peppered with lore about the barbegazis and their habits/mythology which I thought was a really nice touch. Throughout the book there are some times and Tessa makes impulsive decisions that aren’t the smartest, or has thoughts that are a tad selfish but it’s good to see her reason through those thoughts or think retroactively about her decisions and their consequences. For the age that she is her behavior and thoughts are appropriate.

The family dynamics and friendships in this book were really charming and authentic. It touched on a lot of harder subjects such as grief (and the effects thereof), slight bullying and others. It’s a fun winter adventure with a lot of twists and turns and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If it sounds like something you would like to pick up be sure to check it out. It’s coming out from Jolly Fish Press on November 12th.

Happy reading!

Review: The Claiming

DeAnne1 Comment

A ghostly apparition appearing along a dark and lonely stretch of highway. A ritual bound in blood. A race against time against a deadly supernatural force.

Kendra Garrity’s twin brother, the only person she has ever loved, will be dead at dawn.

Gwydion has done the unthinkable. He has triggered The Claiming, an ancient ritual that can turn an ordinary person into a witch. But power comes with a terrible cost. Now he hovers in a state near death, trapped in the underworld. At sunrise, he’ll be lost forever. And something dark and unnatural will rise in his place.

Kendra is the only one who has any hope of saving the brother she loves, the brother who once gave up everything for her. But in order to rescue him, she must enter into a terrifying mirror world populated by nightmare creatures and controlled by demons. If she fails, she will be trapped there forever. And if she succeeds, it might mean giving up everything she has ever known.

This book definitely ticked all the boxes when it came to buzzwords that I would enjoy and general feel. It was definitely on the spookier side and the writing was beautiful in so many ways. The descriptions are rich and suit the story perfectly.

You spend the whole story wondering about people’s motivations and learning things little by little. Finding out some of the history of the town and just what lays beneath the surface was great and definitely makes me want to read more in this series.

I will say that woven in to this story there are definitely some trigger worthy topics, there’s talk about abuse, rape and more, so if those are subjects you can’t handle then this one may not be for you. All in all I really enjoyed this one and it definitely fit my craving for something darker and mystical.

The Claiming is out now if you want to pick up a copy. Happy reading!

Review: Meant To Be Yours by Susan Mallery

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I was so excited when Harlequin reached out to me to be a part of their new blog tour program so I jumped at the chance to join. I’m eager to check out a bunch of new books in varying genres. While I’m being provided digital copies of the books in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Synopsis: In Happily Inc, love means never having to say “I do”…

Wedding coordinator Renee Grothen isn’t meant for marriage. Those who can, do. Those who can’t, plan. But she never could have planned on gorgeous, talented thriller writer Jasper Dembenski proposing—a fling, that is. Fun without a future. And the attraction between them is too strong for Renee to resist. Now she can have her no-wedding cake…and eat it, too.

After years in the military, Jasper is convinced he’s too damaged for relationships. So a flirtation—and more—with fiery, determined Renee is way too good to pass up…until his flame becomes his muse.

Renee is an expert at averting every crisis. But is she finally ready to leap into the one thing that can never be controlled: love?

Buy Links: Harlequin Indiebound Amazon Barnes & Noble  Books-A-Million Target Walmart Google iBooks Kobo

I love stories that feature love interest who think they can’t love or aren’t suited to love, so the description of this book was right up my alley. It’s actually the fifth book in a series, but from my experience with this one it doesn’t appear you need to read the previous books to understand the setting or characters, though I’m sure there are things that make more sense if you do as the stories likely wind together. Still, from the way this book reads you can probably only read the ones you are interested in, read them out of order, or read them all – either way works!

I absolutely fell in love with the characters in this book, not just Renee and Jasper, but the friends that surround them. The world building and setting of Happily Inc was enchanting, there were so many places I would love to see in this quaint little town. Throughout the story you do see glimpses of who I assume were the couples from the previous books, and they each have stories of their own that weave into the main plot. Mallery has done a masterful job of creating a place and characters that you want to be friends with and spend time with. And Renee’s mother plus the relationship between her and Renee? Beautiful.

Now to Renee and Jasper, who both believe that they are broken in different ways. Neither of them believe that love will ever be in their future because of different things they have experienced in the past. Their internal dialogue and struggles when faced with the progression of their relationship was beautiful. The insecurities and worries that they each had were understandable and I really enjoyed the way they would sort things out in their heads, and then with each other.

If you’re looking for a romance on the fun side but with plenty of soul searching and growth of characters, be sure to pick this one up. I’m so thrilled I got the opportunity to read it.

SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and
readers seem to agree—40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live. Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She’s passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the two ragdoll cats and adorable poodle who think of her as mom.

Social Links: Author Website
Twitter: @susanmallery
Facebook: SusanMallery
Instagram: @susanmallery
Goodreads

Thanks again to Harlequin for giving me the opportunity to participate in the blog tour, Meant to Be Yours is out now, so check it out!

Happy reading!

Series Review: The Wicked + The Divine

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They say all good things must come to an end, but I was both excited for the finale of this series and dreading it. This graphic novel series has by far been one of my favorites. It is definitely full of adult content and very graphic in nature, so keep that in mind if you are going to pick it up. From what I’ve noticed it is also quite polarizing, some people love it like I did, but some people don’t.

Now let’s get into it – The Wicked + The Divine tells the story of a group of twelve individuals who become Gods and then die two years later. This is a cycle that happens every 90 years and no one* knows why (ok, there’s someone who knows why, but they aren’t talking). During the time that they are Gods they are both loved and hated. They become the biggest celebrities there are, scrutinized by all and constantly watched.

This series was masterfully done, the pieces slowly coming together and peeling back layer after layer to discover the truth regarding how this started happening and what the reasons behind it truly was.

There were so many moments that caused extreme emotions because I became so invested in the different characters and their stories. The last volume alone made me cry multiple times.

If you love stories that are a twist on mythologies, examinations of humans and their motivations or just a fun time, definitely check out this series. The last volume recently came out, so it is complete and can be binged!

Happy reading!