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kristens_bookshelf's reviews
144 reviews
Rising on Dragon Wings: Magic of Virankan by Baine Fox
4.0
Perfect example of don't judge a book by it's cover!
I'm not a fan of this cover at all but the story inside made up for it! I find myself more and more surprised by the stories being put out by indie authors lately.
This is my first dragon fantasy book to read and if this sets the tone for the others, I'm going to be a dragon girlie in no time! The author did a great job setting up the world and not giving flowery descriptives but rather vivid images that I could see in my mind instantly.
Two things kept this from being a 5 start read for me. The first is the banter between the MMC and his dragon, it felt childish and not in an endearing way. Almost like they were little kids on a playground and I found myself rolling my eyes. The second is the spicy scenes. The FMC by nature is reserved, self-conscious but when it came to the spice she turned into Aphrodite. It just didn't make sense...and the words used by the characters during these times felt more modern and inconsistent with language and words used through out the rest of the story.
I'm not a fan of this cover at all but the story inside made up for it! I find myself more and more surprised by the stories being put out by indie authors lately.
This is my first dragon fantasy book to read and if this sets the tone for the others, I'm going to be a dragon girlie in no time! The author did a great job setting up the world and not giving flowery descriptives but rather vivid images that I could see in my mind instantly.
Two things kept this from being a 5 start read for me. The first is the banter between the MMC and his dragon, it felt childish and not in an endearing way. Almost like they were little kids on a playground and I found myself rolling my eyes. The second is the spicy scenes. The FMC by nature is reserved, self-conscious but when it came to the spice she turned into Aphrodite. It just didn't make sense...and the words used by the characters during these times felt more modern and inconsistent with language and words used through out the rest of the story.
Shaedes of Power by Jenny Grimes
5.0
This book...it came so close to knocking the Belladonna series off my roman empire spot for the year.
Mid-way thru the book I DMed the author on Instagram to tell them how much I was loving the story. I am the perfect target audience for this book.
I have always been obsessed with Tinkerbell and this story is like the New Adult coming of age Tinkerbell story. The blurb put out on this book explains everything perfectly. No book summary by me would do any more justice to what you need to know.
The only tiny thing I would have liked more is I wish the spice was a tiny smidge spicier. But it didn't take away from anything the way it was.
I will 100% re-read this and am so sad that this is the ARC and I have to wait 6+months for the next book.
Mid-way thru the book I DMed the author on Instagram to tell them how much I was loving the story. I am the perfect target audience for this book.
I have always been obsessed with Tinkerbell and this story is like the New Adult coming of age Tinkerbell story. The blurb put out on this book explains everything perfectly. No book summary by me would do any more justice to what you need to know.
The only tiny thing I would have liked more is I wish the spice was a tiny smidge spicier. But it didn't take away from anything the way it was.
I will 100% re-read this and am so sad that this is the ARC and I have to wait 6+months for the next book.
Last Christmas by Clare Swatman, Clare Swatman
2.0
This book was a WILD ride. The concept of the book was very neat and I loved it...but the story was just too much.
If the Hallmark movie people took a love triangle episode from Jerry Springer and made a script for the Hallmark Channel, you would have this book. This book wasn't for me but maybe it will be for you.
The prologue tells you about Bea who lives in London with her boyfriend but she is going thru a little mental breakdown and she wants to just pack her stuff and runaway. It's always been her dream to live in New York and work for a famous magazine and just live her best life. She throws caution to the wind and packs her bags and heads to the airport.
Chapter 1 gives you a run down of what happens immediately after if she decides to go.
Chapter 2 lets you know what happens if she decided to turn back and stay.
And then the chapters keep alternating and flowing with the original decision. (odd chapter numbers are all 1 story if she decided to go and the even chapter numbers are a different story if she decided to stay)
Where it went off the rails for me was what was happening with the characters in the second half of the book. There was so much "ok now this is just getting ridiculous". I can't say too much without spoiling it so if you want a spoiler version just message me. This wasn't the holiday romance I was expecting or looking for.
If the Hallmark movie people took a love triangle episode from Jerry Springer and made a script for the Hallmark Channel, you would have this book. This book wasn't for me but maybe it will be for you.
The prologue tells you about Bea who lives in London with her boyfriend but she is going thru a little mental breakdown and she wants to just pack her stuff and runaway. It's always been her dream to live in New York and work for a famous magazine and just live her best life. She throws caution to the wind and packs her bags and heads to the airport.
Chapter 1 gives you a run down of what happens immediately after if she decides to go.
Chapter 2 lets you know what happens if she decided to turn back and stay.
And then the chapters keep alternating and flowing with the original decision. (odd chapter numbers are all 1 story if she decided to go and the even chapter numbers are a different story if she decided to stay)
Where it went off the rails for me was what was happening with the characters in the second half of the book. There was so much "ok now this is just getting ridiculous". I can't say too much without spoiling it so if you want a spoiler version just message me. This wasn't the holiday romance I was expecting or looking for.
The Queen of Fives by Alex Hay
3.0
This was a very good story and the concept was incredibly intriguing! I definitely recommend the book, the twists were twisty with twists!
Quinn is the Queen of Fives, essentially queen of con-artists. A position that has been handed down amongst the worthy. She pulls off job after job and pays nicely the people that helped her and has maintained a balanced community in the underworld. Times lately have been tough with jobs gone wrong and she needs to make a big score to keep her head above water and reputation intact. She makes one of the richest families in her area as her mark and trouble ensues.
The story was slow to get going in the first quarter of the book and then slowed down the last quarter where I found myself skimming the extra fluff cuz I was so excited to get to the good stuff.
Quinn is the Queen of Fives, essentially queen of con-artists. A position that has been handed down amongst the worthy. She pulls off job after job and pays nicely the people that helped her and has maintained a balanced community in the underworld. Times lately have been tough with jobs gone wrong and she needs to make a big score to keep her head above water and reputation intact. She makes one of the richest families in her area as her mark and trouble ensues.
The story was slow to get going in the first quarter of the book and then slowed down the last quarter where I found myself skimming the extra fluff cuz I was so excited to get to the good stuff.
Order of Swans by Jude Deveraux
5.0
As always, thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!
Publishes January 28th!
If you were a fan of the show Once Upon a Time, this is the book for you!
All of the best fairy tales in 1 world - CHECK
Enemies to Lovers - CHECK
Political Intrigue - CHECK
Slow Burn Romance - CHECK
Witty Banter - CHECK
This book was fantastic from the first page to the last page! I will absolutely be buying this book when it releases!
Publishes January 28th!
If you were a fan of the show Once Upon a Time, this is the book for you!
All of the best fairy tales in 1 world - CHECK
Enemies to Lovers - CHECK
Political Intrigue - CHECK
Slow Burn Romance - CHECK
Witty Banter - CHECK
This book was fantastic from the first page to the last page! I will absolutely be buying this book when it releases!
Wish You Weren't Here by Portia MacIntosh
2.0
The start of the book was great, super cute and everything Portia normally gives us. However the middle of the story was just fluff. It felt like the author was on a time crunch to have the book turned in and gave us random scenes to try to connect the start and the end. It felt like we got the 1st or 2nd draft, not a polished final draft. The MMC doesn't exist for 50% of the book. This is definitely my least favorite book from this author. The premise was brilliant but the pacing was so off.
The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith
4.0
As always, thanks to HarperCollins for sending me this ARC. This was one of the ARCs I was crossing my fingers and toes to have sent to me!
Bridgerton + The Cruel Prince + The Selection...romantasy...enemies to lovers...fae...does it get any better than that!?
I'm pretty sure this book checked every single box of a perfect YA story! I stayed awake til 4am flipping the pages, I couldn't close my yes until I was finished. I absolutely can not wait for the next book because the plot only gets juicier!
There were 2 things that kept this from being a 5 star for me. The first was the imagery wasn't as vivid as I would have liked. I could kind of picture everything but it took a little effort. The second was the singular chapters that the other girls got thru out the story. I don't think any of those chapters helped me to understand those characters any different because everything was beautifully told or found out thru discussions amongst the girls. Those chapters were quite short tho so it didn't keep me from the exciting stuff for too long.
Bridgerton + The Cruel Prince + The Selection...romantasy...enemies to lovers...fae...does it get any better than that!?
I'm pretty sure this book checked every single box of a perfect YA story! I stayed awake til 4am flipping the pages, I couldn't close my yes until I was finished. I absolutely can not wait for the next book because the plot only gets juicier!
There were 2 things that kept this from being a 5 star for me. The first was the imagery wasn't as vivid as I would have liked. I could kind of picture everything but it took a little effort. The second was the singular chapters that the other girls got thru out the story. I don't think any of those chapters helped me to understand those characters any different because everything was beautifully told or found out thru discussions amongst the girls. Those chapters were quite short tho so it didn't keep me from the exciting stuff for too long.
A Lady Would Know Better by Emma Theriault
3.0
As always, thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC!
Historical Regency Fiction is always such a vibe. These books keep me going until a new season of Bridgerton comes around.
This was a cute story. The characters had great personalities and could banter so well. The MMC, Jasper, had so much great depth to him. But the story was way too long. The slow burn burned way to slow. The story was drawn out entirely too much in the middle, too much inner monologue. I skimmed chapters because it just became repetitive. And then the end felt rushed instead of giving us more action that could of enhanced the mystery and give the "ah ha" moment more value.
Historical Regency Fiction is always such a vibe. These books keep me going until a new season of Bridgerton comes around.
This was a cute story. The characters had great personalities and could banter so well. The MMC, Jasper, had so much great depth to him. But the story was way too long. The slow burn burned way to slow. The story was drawn out entirely too much in the middle, too much inner monologue. I skimmed chapters because it just became repetitive. And then the end felt rushed instead of giving us more action that could of enhanced the mystery and give the "ah ha" moment more value.
The Moon's Daughter by Leena Kazak
3.0
I could almost see this story being an Aladdin/Jasmine retelling that picks up at the end of the movie we all know and love.
The themes of identity, legacy, family loyalty and unbreakable ties that bind generations honestly flow so well together and will hit home with those that enjoy LitFic. The fantasy aspect adds that little extra umph to make it even more enjoyable!
The world building was decent. It was very flowery and descriptive in some ways that are good and provided texture to the world, but in other areas lacked in actually just explaining stuff. That wasn't too much of a hurdle tho considering the world isn't especially complex.
The FMC was well developed but the emotional aspects of her transformation at times felt predictable and repetitive and I was left just wanting to just get to the action that was built up for so long.
The MMC was perfection. The flashbacks that told his story and tied him into the story was 10/10. I ate that up!
The ending...I wish would have stopped after chapter 29 or MAYBE chapter 30. Even tho it would have left me kicking and screaming...in a good way. Much more of a cliff hanger for the next book. The last couple chapters wrapped things up too much and left us in a predictable spot.
This story is a perfect choice if you enjoy reflective, character-driven stories with a touch of the mystical.
The themes of identity, legacy, family loyalty and unbreakable ties that bind generations honestly flow so well together and will hit home with those that enjoy LitFic. The fantasy aspect adds that little extra umph to make it even more enjoyable!
The world building was decent. It was very flowery and descriptive in some ways that are good and provided texture to the world, but in other areas lacked in actually just explaining stuff. That wasn't too much of a hurdle tho considering the world isn't especially complex.
The FMC was well developed but the emotional aspects of her transformation at times felt predictable and repetitive and I was left just wanting to just get to the action that was built up for so long.
The MMC was perfection. The flashbacks that told his story and tied him into the story was 10/10. I ate that up!
The ending...I wish would have stopped after chapter 29 or MAYBE chapter 30. Even tho it would have left me kicking and screaming...in a good way. Much more of a cliff hanger for the next book. The last couple chapters wrapped things up too much and left us in a predictable spot.
This story is a perfect choice if you enjoy reflective, character-driven stories with a touch of the mystical.
The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt by Chelsea Iversen
3.0
As always, thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!
Publish date: Dec 3rd
If Tim Burton and Neil Gaiman wrote a book together and had Stephen King consult on it, you would have this book. As I was reading it, I was picturing it as a gothic stop-motion movie. This story is PERFECT for that style. And everything was described as Stephen King would in his drawn out vivid words. I can picture Samara Weaving as Harriet, Helena Bonham Carter as the housekeeper, Johnny Depp as the dad and a blonde Timothee Chalamet as her husband.
It did slow down a bit for me in the middle but this story was so wonky that I was still speed reading thru it. I definitely recommend reading it. Check trigger warnings before you read if you have any that bother you.
Publish date: Dec 3rd
If Tim Burton and Neil Gaiman wrote a book together and had Stephen King consult on it, you would have this book. As I was reading it, I was picturing it as a gothic stop-motion movie. This story is PERFECT for that style. And everything was described as Stephen King would in his drawn out vivid words. I can picture Samara Weaving as Harriet, Helena Bonham Carter as the housekeeper, Johnny Depp as the dad and a blonde Timothee Chalamet as her husband.
It did slow down a bit for me in the middle but this story was so wonky that I was still speed reading thru it. I definitely recommend reading it. Check trigger warnings before you read if you have any that bother you.