bookrecsbyjess's reviews
1041 reviews

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Thank you to the author and Booked with the Emilys for the ARC of Secret or Shutout by Leah Brunner. All opinions are my own.

Secret of Shutout is the fourth book in the DC Eagles Hockey series by Leah Brunner. I’ve read and loved each book in this series, but this might be my new favorite.

I read this book in two days because I didn’t want to put it down. The characters were just so lovable, and I was rooting for the romance the whole time.

This story follows hockey goalie Bruce McBride and Farrah Remington, the sister to hockey captain, Ford Remington. Throughout the other books in this series, I could see that Bruce was wanting to settle down with someone, but it just wasn’t his time yet. I loved finally getting to see his happy ending.

Bruce was such a wonderful main character who was completely gone for Farrah from the very beginning. I loved seeing him pine over her throughout this book. He was so sweet to her, and I loved how well he took care of her.

Farrah was a very lovable character, and I liked how strong she was coming back from past heartache. I also appreciated that the author included her experience of PCOS through Farrah’s character.

Another highlight was the friend group between the hockey players and their partners. They were so much fun when they got together, and I liked how they encouraged and teased one another.

This book had me laughing and smiling so much, and I just can’t recommend it enough! I would say that the best reading experience would be to read these books in order, but this book can technically be read as a standalone.

Content Warnings

His Unforgettable Bride by Patti Stockdale, Jody Hedlund

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hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Thank you to Sunrise Publishing for the ARC of His Unforgettable Bride by Jody Hedlund and Patti Stockdale. All opinions are my own.

This was such a sweet book overall. I’ve enjoyed each of the books in this series so far, and I loved getting to see some of the characters from other books in this series make an appearance in this story. Although part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone.

The characters is this book were very sweet for the most part. I liked both Henry/Gray and Juliet. Henry was charming, and Juliet spoke her mind. I liked how they complemented each other. The sisters were very nice on one hand, but I didn’t like how they kept trying to make Juliet more “proper.”

I enjoyed how the amnesia trope was used in this story, and how the identity reveal was done. I thought the characters’ reactions made sense, and I really felt for Henry because of all the conflicting feelings he had about his own identity.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and would recommend it.

Content Warnings

The Secrets Beneath by Kimberley Woodhouse

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dark hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

What it's about:

This story follows a female paleontologist in the late 1800s. She and her father discover the bones of a dinosaur on the property of a family that no one in town likes. When someone goes missing, they have to decide who they can trust.

What I thought:

I thought this book was so interesting because of the paleontology focus, the mystery, and the sweet romance. I'm excited to read the other books in this series soon.

> I loved learning more about paleontology, especially as it was becoming more popular in this time period

> the mystery aspect surrounding the missing people was so interesting

> the romance was very sweet

> I liked the faith themes throughout

> I appreciated the way the author handled the topic of grief

⚠️ there’s a lot of heavy content in this book including a lot of past trauma and death.

🌶️ just kisses

Content Warnings

The Half King by Melissa Landers

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 62%.

Thank you to Red Tower for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

DNF @ 62%

Why I chose to read this book:

I got the FairyLoot edition with my subscription, and Red Tower sent me a physical ARC of it. It sounded like a book I would enjoy.

My thoughts:

While the premise of this story was interesting. I had a few issues with the execution. The pacing was all over the place. Sometimes I didn't want to put the book down, but then other times I was quite bored. I also didn't like how the magic system worked or how conveniently things worked out for the main character. Also, the romance was too rushed for me.

Content Warnings

Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli

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adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Thank you to PRH Audio for the ALC.

What it's about:

This book picks up shortly after Heartless Hunter ends. The characters have to make difficult decisions for the good of others.

They also have to put differences aside and remember who the real enemy is.

What I thought:

I loved this conclusion to this duology. The back and forth between Rune and Gideon stressed me out, but I loved how things turned out for them.

> I loved the tension!

> I loved all the characters working together

> I enjoyed how this book wrapped up

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: I enjoyed this narrator but would’ve preferred two narrators.

⚠️ swearing, blood, violence, and other things related to fighting.

🌶️ open door but brief

Content Warnings

The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Thank you to the author for the ARC of The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair. All opinions are my own.

The Serendipity had a lot of things that I loved about it. I appreciated the humor, the focus on mental health, and how the conflict wasn’t drawn out.

As always, this author has such a great sense of humor that makes me laugh. There were lots of fun moments in this story (the opossum), and I loved how Willa, the main female character, had such a fun personality.

I also appreciated how the topic of mental health was brought up for both main characters. They each experienced different kinds of anxiety, and I liked that they were trying to work through it as well as sharing this vulnerability with each other.

The conflict in this story definitely made sense for these characters, and I liked how they handled it and didn’t let it become some long, drawn-out issue. This made the story light-hearted and not stressful, which is exactly what I wanted.

One character that stood out was Bellamy, who was a side character. He was just so much fun, and I enjoyed his friendship with Willa.

I don’t read a lot of contemporary stories where magic is involved, but I actually really liked the magical element of the apartment building in this story. I’m curious to see how this plays out in the rest of the series.

Overall, I really liked this book and would recommend it! It was a very cute romance with lots of great kisses.

Content Warnings

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

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tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Thank you PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook.

What it's about:

Rune is a witch hiding in plain sight as The Crimson Moth. She rescues witches that are being put to death.

Gideon is a witch hunter who's been hunting down The Crimson Moth for years. Both decide to use each other to help their own causes.

What I thought:

I loved this book! The tension was excellent, and I loved the enemies to lovers aspect. l also appreciated the friendship between Rune and Gideon's brother Alex.

> I loved the tension between the main characters

> the plot was interesting & fast-paced

> I enjoyed the romance

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: the narrator was good, but I would’ve preferred two narrators.

⚠️ blood, violence, injury, swearing, death, & grief

🌶️ multiple intimate scenes with few details

Content Warnings

Esther: A Woman of Strength and Dignity by Charles R. Swindoll

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

What it's about:

This is an in-depth study of Esther from the Bible. The author explains some of the historical context of events surrounding Esther as well as lessons to apply to our own lives.

What I thought:

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the author did a great job with his research, and I appreciated his thoughts on the different lessons from Esther's life that can apply to our own lives.

> this book was interesting

> I liked learning about historical context for Esther

> while I flew through this book, you could also easily take your time with this book since there’s so much information

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: I liked this narrator. I listened at 2x speed because I didn’t want to miss out on information.

⚠️ if you’ve read the book of Esther, then you know what to expect. If not, the people at this time were very against the Jewish people that were exiled there.

🌶️ none

You may also enjoy: I’ve read two other books from this series (David & Joseph) and would recommend those too. I plan to eventually read all of the books in this series (they don’t need to be read in any certain order).

Reckless by Lauren Roberts

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adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

What it's about:

This book picks up where

Powerless left off. It is more character-focused than the first book. Tensions are high, and secrets are uncovered.

Characters have to decide who to trust and what to believe.

What I thought:

I loved this! The tension between Kai and Paedyn was amazing, and I loved their chemistry in this book. I also loved the vulnerability between them. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

> I loved this!

> the tension between Paedyn & Kai was 🔥

> I loved the vulnerability

> while I loved the fast-paced plot of book 1, I liked the character focus in this one

> that ending has me so anxious for the next book

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: I loved all three narrators and appreciated having different narrators for each of the POVs.

⚠️ violence, confinement, panic attacks, and more.

🌶️ kissing

Content Warnings

Powerful by Lauren Roberts

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funny sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

What it's about:

This story takes place during the events of Powerless. It follows Paedyn's best friend Adena. She is a seamstress trying to survive on the streets when she meets Mak, a man who needs her help getting into the royal palace.

What I thought:

Adena is so precious, and I loved her relationship with Mak. They were so cute and funny together. It was nice getting to know more about her backstory. It was also so heartbreaking.

> this story was so sweet and heartbreaking

> I loved getting to know more about this side character from Powerless

> I think if you read this in tandem with Powerless, it might be a slightly better experience but more heartbreaking

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: I really liked these narrators.

⚠️ death, violence, and some other heavy content.

🌶️ just kisses

Content Warnings

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bookrecsbyjess's reviews 1041 reviews

bookrecsbyjess's reviews
1041 reviews