Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I'm giving this an extra star just for the unusual setting for the majority of the book. Also, I enjoyed the character interactions, especially around the crew. The fireflies was an interesting way of describing something that seemed like ADHD or similar to me. The watering can got old, but I can see the metaphor and I enjoyed the communication development between the two. Also I found the other multi-tool to be an interesting character I'm actually intrigued to learn more about in the future.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 - that twist ending though... thoroughly enjoyable blend of enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, only one bed, and bodyguard romancing. A fun update of one of my favorite royal stories, but the pacing got a bit bogged down in the emotional details (albeit a well-done and worthwhile reminder to all those who pour from empty cups).
i DID like the characters n the relationship n the setting but i was not a fan of how this was executed :(
this was not only a slow burn romance but a slow burn everrrrryyyythiiiinggg. there were SO many problems they needed to solve and they were all resolved in the last two chapters?? rather than throughout the book? PLUS the characters took so long to admit they liked each other, so we barely got any relationship time w them. and the secondary characters on the ship were a bit... odd? i don’t know i couldn’t remember all their names except the one she was setting up for her next book
this was not only a slow burn romance but a slow burn everrrrryyyythiiiinggg. there were SO many problems they needed to solve and they were all resolved in the last two chapters?? rather than throughout the book? PLUS the characters took so long to admit they liked each other, so we barely got any relationship time w them. and the secondary characters on the ship were a bit... odd? i don’t know i couldn’t remember all their names except the one she was setting up for her next book
**Most of my reviews contain detailed Content Notes (including CW/TW) sections, which may include spoilers and general tags. I have tried to mark them appropriately, but please use caution.**
3.75
Audio (Karen Chilton)
* Summary: Long tired of her mother’s obsession with their supposed royal lineage, out of a job and girlfriend, and struggling with her compulsion to people please, Makeda has returned to her grandmother’s B and B when Bez - the chaotic royal investigator in moderate disgrace - arrives and sets Makeda’s life on its ear.
* Stats: CR (slight AU), FF, open door, part of a series but can stand alone
* Notes: I think my enjoyment of books recently has been really impacted by a personal funk and a reading slump alongside it, so I think I enjoyed this a little bit less than I might have another time. I thought overall, it was sweet but a little slow, and I just didn’t really connect with either character (which is interesting because I am 100% a Fixer - though not as profoundly as Makeda) or totally understand why the two were “the perfect match”. I get why they might be - and buy it - but I just didn’t see it play out enough on the page. Some of this is likely due to the story not having an epilogue which is always tricky for me. I like epilogues. They help me *believe*. I think Makeda did make strides in understanding how/why she is/has been a pleaser and how that has hurt her and her relationships in the past. But I worry that she hasn’t really gotten to the point where I feel like she knows how to be happy without that. What’s she going to do now? She mentions having a few plans… but what are they? I thought the mixing of the real world and real world issues with the “AU” was interesting but that it got a little carried away with itself later in the story. I assume all of that fits in somewhere else in the author’s bibliography and might work better in that deeper context. I also thought it was interesting that this book is blurbed as Anastasia inspired - I was expecting something a little darker. If I was blurbing it and needed a cultural reference, I guess I’d go more Princess Diaries than Anastasia? I’ve not ever seen the Disney Anastasia though, so it has historical revolution, death and fraud vibes to me rather than love story with a discovered royal identity.
OTT and Spoilery Content Notes: