betterwithabookinmyhand's reviews
467 reviews

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

If you’re looking for a fantasy that within the span of 500 pages will become your entire personality, look no further. You’ll want fanart, quotes set to gorgeous backgrounds, the works!

You could start Heir without reading the previous series (the Ember Quartet), which is great. You’ll just meet some characters from the Ember Quartet at the end of their journey after the last Ember book, so the Quartet acts as a spinoff prequel for Heir.

And for those who know them, we see characters we know and love from the Ember Quartet, we fall for new characters, and we see magic and wonder that exists in this world and also the harsh reality and evil the lurks in the dark.

𝐀𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧.
𝐀𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭.
𝐀 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞.
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬.

Heir is absolutely unreal. This is a story I will return to again and again in my mind. Unforgettable. Remarkable. Everything I could have hoped a return for this world could be.

We return to the Empire and the world of the Ember Quartet to meet our three main characters.

Aiz is an orphan in a forgotten part of the Empire. She’ll do anything to free her people from starvation and oppression and follow wherever Mother Div may lead her.

Quil is a prince we know, he’s the Heir to the Empire and is not ready to fill the role his aunt and Empress Regent Helene has readied for him.

Sirsha is a street smart tracker who is paid to find a killer who has been sweeping through the Empire but it’s unlike anything she’s faced before.

I’m honestly reeling from finishing this story. I had no idea what a return to this world would look like but it was done extremely well. It’s a good thing this story is a duology because I know I’ll get all the answers I seek in the next book! 

There just isn’t praise enough or stars enough for this story!! An absolute must read! 

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.75

That was a cinnamon roll of a perfect feel good read! Listened to it on audio, loved it enough that I’m buying the paperback for my bookshelves. This is my new light romcom recommendation!

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I would give a limb to read book two right now, that was incredible!! It reminded me of absolutely everything I loved about Serpent & Dove and Manon Balckbeak from Throne of Glass. The writing was so lyrical and had such vivid lines I felt like I was watching a movie in my head as I listened to the audiobook. 

Gideon Sharp is the witch hunter archetype I thought I couldn’t fall for again but damnit if I’m not rooting for the bastard and Rune to end up together. 

The author wove some unforeseen twists and turns into this story that I really appreciated. One twist I saw coming but still I loooove how the author wrote it I was perfectly fine to wait to watch everything unfold.  

The big reveal was so tangible I could see every character’s movement, it was epic.

So my only critique is that I have to wait til February 2025 for book 2! This is my new favorite witchy series!

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This is one of my new favorite romcoms! Thank you @berkleypub for the free book! 

📚 Read this book if you like:
📌 Spot-on witty banter 👌 
📌 Workplace romance 💻
📌 Forced proximity 👩‍❤️‍👨
📌 A little spice in your romcom 🔥
📌 Native American representation 👏

Ember Lee Cardinal isn’t afraid to tell a little white lie. So when  job application after job application is denied, she stretches a few truths about her schooling and checks white instead of Native American on her latest application, she quickly receives an offer. Ember then has to keep on top of the lies she’s told so she can stay friends—or more 👀 —with the hot IT guy at her new accounting job.

This book is one of my top 5 romance novels I’ve read all year! I found myself smiling at the banter and Ember’s internal dialogue. It was light and funny without doing too much to grab my attention. The build up in this romance was so easily believable and nearly effortless that the chemistry was tangible. 

I would love to see more romcoms with Native American MCs! This author ROCKED this story, I didn’t want it to end but now that is has do yourself a solid and READ THIS STORY! You’ll fall for Ember and Danuwoa and this bittersweet tale of love, lies, and dreams.

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Thank you for the free audiobook @prhaudio and @berkleypub for the free book!

I’ve read Jesse Q. Sutanto’s books but this book is unlike anything she’s written before! I want more thrillers from her! 

Meredith Lee is an influencer who made it big. Big enough that when she meets Aspen Palmer, who is struggling to make a name for herself, Meredith is willing to teach her what she knows. But when Aspen surpasses Meredith in fame their relationship grows friendship to frenemies. Anything is possible when fame is involved! 👀 

This book was wild! I was so immersed in the audiobook I finished it in a few days! I wanted nothing more than to fold laundry or go on a walk and hear about the crazy unfoldings between Meredith and Aspen. The narrator  handled the two main characters’ voices so well I could hear the shifts in their tone as they went from influencer and presenter to someone on the brink of snapping. I loved every minute of it.

Some plot twists I saw coming but they were presented in such a shocking way I didn’t mind. I was along for the ride with this story!

I still have SO much love Vera Wang’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers but this book is my next favorite of hers! My auto-read author is writing thrillers and I am here 👏 for 👏 it 👏!

The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

4.5 stars, this story kept my attention throughout, the writing was excellent and I’m SO glad there’s a sequel coming because I need more!

Full review to come

It Had to Be You by Eliza Jane Brazier

adventurous dark lighthearted tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Thank you Berkley Pub for the free advanced reading copy.

Two contract killers meet on an overnight train and after a steamy encounter end up having the other as their new mark.

This story was giving me Mr. & Mrs. Smith but with characters a little more unhinged. I really like the idea of the story and the short chapters. You can tell the author is a screenwriter because I could see this story being a hit as a movie, especially the last third of the book with its action-packed scenes.

What I struggled with was the connection to the characters. The characters seemed very distant and detached from their tragic backstories but it made it a bit hard to care about them. 

The chemistry I felt but the insta-love/attraction felt out of character for two people who rely on keeping their identities hidden and themselves separate from the rest of the world.

I think this could be a nice read for someone looking for something different to get them out of a slump. The short chapters and fast-paced action scenes will keep you coming back for more.

What I liked:

• Action-packed ending
• Engaging plot
• Short chapters
• Steamy encounters

What I would change:

• Insta-love
• Slower middle section
• More connection to characters 

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Okay this was worth the read!! Edward’s perspective offers so much more than Bella’s. Not only do you get to hear the thoughts of others through his POV but you learn so much more about Edward’s family and how their dynamics work when humans (Bella) aren’t around. 

The biggest drawback in this story is that it’s looooooooooong. I think Edward’s musings could have been chopped down by 100-200 pages. 

But Stephenie Meyer’s writing definitely grew since writing Twilight. There was a lot more character development in this story. 

This was a very entertaining tandem buddy read reading this and Twilight scene for scene. 

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Man people should look to chemists for new models because the chemists and engineers in Ali Hazelwood’s books are like God-tier hot, ha!

Okay so I love me some Ali Hazelwood. I think after reading her recent YA I forgot how while I enjoy her books they’re also a stretch for me. The characters are SO hot, the situations are SO tense, the sex is on the spicier side for me (not saying much I’m a 2 chili pepper kind of gal) so I find myself smiling and rolling my eyes a bit but still enjoying the journey overall. 

Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou

adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you Penguin Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! 

I will forever think of the magic system in this duology, I LOVED it. I wasn’t in the mood for a fantasy when I read this second book and I think that largely impacted my reading experience (rookie mistake). 

In this second book the love thread between the main characters is cut and suddenly they’re don’t know if they have enough to keep them together without it. That bothered me. I know the love thread was a bit part of their reason they were in each other’s lives but when it was gone they just…gave up for a chunk of the book. 

I also know that this book isn’t primarily a romance, it’s a fantasy first with a sprinkle of romance but I did find myself wanting more of the romance.

So when the ending came I found myself wanting just a bit more. Book 1 just totally rocked my world that it put a lot of pressure on book 2.

It’s still worth the read but go into it knowing romance is not center stage in this story.