babsreads18's reviews
788 reviews

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

adventurous medium-paced

3.0

I thought this book was interesting overall, and while I didn’t totally love it, I’m still looking forward to the next book in the series. There was a lot of information dumping and the pacing was all over the place. I would have loved some more building of the magic system. The body swapping/jumping power was really interesting, but took a while for me to really grasp since there were a lot of other things happening as well. The competition definitely reminded me of Hunger Games, and I enjoyed the high stakes. Having the entire city as the competition venue was unique and definitely added to the intrigue. Calla’s character was strong which I loved, but a bit more character dimension would have been fantastic. 

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the ARC. 

Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling

slow-paced

3.0

 Princess Elowen Atarah is bonded to five dragons, but was ripped away from them as a child. Now, she is on a mission to free her dragons, but she needs the help of a commander from a rival kingdom to succeed. As they work together, Elowen is unable to deny her attraction to him.

This book has a really interesting premise. I think a bit more world building would have really helped. I did enjoy Elowen who was a strong FMC and . Her relationship with Cayden was pretty insta-lovey, and there just wasn’t enough romantic tension to build their relationship. Their banter was fun, but the romance didn’t quite hit right for me. Other than the romance, the plot moved pretty slowly.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing - Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC. 

 

Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll

3.0

Some Like it Cold is a young adult contemporary romance. I loved the cozy small town vibes. The author did a fantastic job portraying small town vibes with all of the characters involved in each other’s business. Jasper, the female main character, is neurodivergent, and feels pressure to be perfect around everyone, including her family. The author did a really nice job portraying the internal struggles Jasper faced and how she masked to fit in. I did not enjoy Jaspers family, especially her sister and mom. They were incredibly unlikeable and there was so much family drama. I thought there were parts of the romance between Jasper and Arthur that were sweet, but overall it just didn’t feel like the characters were a good fit romantically. 

Tale of the Heart Queen by Nisha J. Tuli

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.0

I took forever to read this book, because I was just not ready for the series to end. I’ve been so invested in this series since book one, and this was a fantastic conclusion! I think it had the perfect balance of romance and fantasy, with plenty of action and drama mixed in. I loved the multiple POVs and timelines, which provided backstory and context to what was happening. Lor’s determinedness and strength continued to shine through, and her relationship with Nadir grew even stronger than before. This one did feel a bit longer than the others in the series, but I really appreciated how all of the plot lines were neatly wrapped up. The ending was beautifully written and it truly feels like the series is complete. 

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC!

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan

4.25

 Liyen is the heir to Tianxia and knows she must pledge to continue serving the immortals despite her desire to free her kingdom from the obligation. When the immortal queen attacks her kingdom in retaliation for a stolen lotus used to save Liyen from poison, she meets the God of War. Soon, she finds herself learning more about the immortals, forging an unexpected alliance with him, and even more unexpectedly battling an attraction. 

Sue Lynn Tan’s writing is always gorgeous, and it shines through in Immortal. The world building was beautifully done and the political intrigue had me so invested throughout the entire book. I loved the complexity of Zhangwei’s character as well as Liyen’s strong and determined traits. The enemies to lovers romance was really well paced, with just the right amounts of tension and banter. It was a slow burn that was so worth waiting for. 

I listened to the audio and absolutely loved the narrator. She did a fantastic job bringing the story to life and capturing the emotions of both characters. 

Thank you to Harper Audio, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

 

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

3.0

Kate is an author, famous for writing mysteries about Loretta Starling. Her editor happens to be her ex-fiancé and she finds herself on a private island attending his wedding when she finds herself in a real life mystery…and the only person helping Kate is Jake. Jake is Kate’s biggest romantic regret in life, and due to a mix-up, they are also forced to share a room. 

This book was a fairly cozy mystery with a touch of romance mixed in. It was pretty lighthearted, which was fun, but not quite what I was expecting from a mystery dealing with murder and poisonings. It never really felt like the characters were scared of what was happening on the island and I would have enjoyed a bit more suspense. While it started pretty slowly as all of the characters were introduced, the plot really picked up in the second half of the book. It was a little predictable, but overall a fun read for those who are looking for a lighter mystery.

I listened to the audio and really enjoyed the narrator. All of the characters had easily distinguishable voices which really added to the story. 

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

Cursed Under London by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch

lighthearted

2.75

 In an alternative Elizabethan London, supernatural creatures like vampires, zombies, and werewolves are abundant. Fang and Lazare are both killed, but manage to come back to life immediately. Somehow, they’ve gained the power of immortality. Additional, Fang has grown wings and Lazare can create illusions. They team up, along with a dragon, to figure out what happened to them and find themselves catching feelings for one another along the way. 

I thought this was a cozy and lighthearted read. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Amber the dragon, and thought the premise was interesting. The romance was cute, but very much insta-love. It definitely would have benefited from a bit more tension and build up. I didn't really get Elizabethan London vibes from the setting which was a little bit disappointing. The characters used pretty modern language and there really wasn’t much to indicate that the setting was from that time period. While I did enjoy the overall story, the stakes were pretty low and I was never really invested in it. 

Many thanks to Farrago Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

 

A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon

adventurous medium-paced

4.0

A Monsoon Rising is book two in The Hurricane Wars series and picks up right where the first book left off. This one felt more focused on romance, but there was still plenty of actual plot happening too. Alaric and Talasyn were forced to navigate their growing feelings for one another while also trying to stay true to their people. The growth in their relationship was fantastic and I loved their banter. The slow burn was incredibly slow and there was so much tension!  I adored how protective Alaric was of Talasyn. The ending has me desperate for the third book in this series!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson

4.0

 This book had me hooked from the very beginning. It’s such an enjoyable read and really impressive for a debut. The Serpent and The Wolf is filled with incredible world building, politics, and magic. I loved the way that Vassa’s character was developed throughout the book. She’s a complex character with plenty of female rage. She has experienced plenty of family drama which impacts so many facets of her personality. Reid’s character and the relationship between him and Vassa were also incredible. I loved the tension between them and how they slowly moved from enemies to lovers. Despite being very untrusting, it was sweet seeing Vassa start loving herself and others again as her relationship with Reid progressed. I also adored the way the Veragi Coven helped guide Vassa to grow and trust others. The ending was shocking and I’m so excited to read the next book in this series!

Thank you to Saga Press for the ARC. 

The Spite Before Christmas by Jessica Booth

4.0

Margie is 52 and hasn’t enjoyed Christmas since an awful one years ago that left her raising her niece Amelia. Now that Amelia is grown, Margie runs a viral YouTube channel dedicated to cooking. Frank’s wife passed away three years ago, and he finally decides to move into a smaller home. He moves in right next door to Margie, and unfortunately, things get off to a rocky start. Frank loves Christmas and covers his lawn in a massive display that irks Margie…and she isn’t afraid to let him know. Things get even more heated when they find themselves working together as co-sponsors for the town’s Christmas Market…and soon they find themselves falling for each other.

This was a really cute and enjoyable Christmas romance. I loved the small town and enemies to lovers vibes. It was really nice to read a book with characters who were a bit older than I typically see in romance books. Seeing both Frank and Margie take a second chance at love was really sweet. Their arguments and resulting shenanigans over Christmas decorations were a fun touch. This book also touches on some really heavy topics, including grief, and I thought it did so in a really thoughtful way. 

Thank you, Partner, @bookedwiththeemilys and @jessicaboothauthor.