ryreadsreviews's reviews
24 reviews

All's Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath

lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

3.0

Title: All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath

• Publication Date- 05/28/24
• Publisher- St. Martin’s Press
• Overall Rating- 3 out of 5 stars 

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

I need to start this review off by acknowledging that I DNF’d it at 25%. Before you stop reading this review let me tell you why and give you hope that it may be a book for you. I personally really enjoy regency romance and I liked the concept of this one. We have an unhinged (for her time) governess who is going to work for a basically retired military man and help babysit his nieces and nephew for 3 months. 

I read this book off and on at night for like a month before I finally decided it wasn’t for me. The characters are great, the story is interesting, this was a me problem. The thing I struggled with the most is it is so slow moving. This is coming from someone who enjoys slow moving plots, especially in romance and this was either too slow or not interesting enough for me. I would have liked it if there were more comedy scenes because you can tell that the author is a detailed writer and adding more comedy/ banter would have increased my enjoyment. Speaking of a detailed author, I think that is part of what made it feel slow. The story got caught up in details that I personally didn’t have interest in. 

Even though the story moved slow, the romance felt instalove at times. Which I think those things in combination could really work for some. I truly liked the main female character and was indifferent about the male. I’m sure they build a wonderful love together. 

All in all, this is not a bad book I just didn’t need to be there for the long haul. 

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Title: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

• Publication Date- 03/05/24
• Publisher- Celadon Books
• Overall Rating- 4.5 out of 5 stars 

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

What a solid, unhinged, 4.5 star read, I did not expect that. This book is truly unhinged that’s probably the first thing you should know going in. But, take unhinged in the best way possible. This is like a murder happened mid season of desperate housewives. I loved it. 

The first thing I want to say is about the writing. The banter throughout, between different characters and even within our MC’s brain is just top tier. I ate that up. I will read any thriller (this author used to write YA fantasy) that this Amy Tintera publishes just for the banter. I highlighted up and down my kindle edition. Read it for that alone. The writing otherwise is okay, it’s not the best I’ve ever read but it’s not bad. In fact, it was pretty simple but I think that really aided in it’s favor because it really felt like a popcorn thriller you could just fly through. I actually skipped my morning workout to finish this books. 

The mystery is good, I really liked all the characters even if I loved to hate them. I found the ending surprising in some ways and not in others which is actually what I prefer in a thriller. I can’t stand when there are too many twists or twists that just don’t make sense. This was straight forward and made sense and I loved it. About the ending, we do get mostly a clear cut answer but it’s also left slightly open ended and some things we will never know. If you would have told me this I probably wouldn’t have read the book. BUT I felt like that really worked here and will leave me thinking. The openness wasn’t so much that I don’t feel like it was worth reading it is. Read it so we can be stuck in this slight limbo together. 

I’m really interested to see what everyone thinks of this story. The only reason it wasn’t a 5 star for me is because there were some aspects of mental health that either weren’t addressed (as a therapist I know I can be a hard ass about this) or just weren’t believable in my opinion. Now, the ending does make the math, math but I just had a few mild complaints that kept it from being a 5 star. 

I am so excited to see what this author will publish next, read this for the banter and a fast paced, unhinged women, interesting thriller with podcast elements that actually add to the story. 

The Ghostkeeper by Johanna Taylor

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-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

5.0

Title: The Ghostkeeper by Johanna Taylor

• Publication Date- 07/23/24
• Publisher- PRH Putnam
• Overall Rating- 6 out of 5 stars 

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Before I tell you why this is a new favorite for me, getting 6 out of 5 stars I need to quickly give you some perspective about my life that led to me rating this so highly. I am a therapist, I work with grief clients, I need reminders to take care of myself so I can take care of others. This amazing graphic novel is about grief, therapy, fear, coping, and so much more. Somehow the author educates people on what it’s like to be a therapist, why it’s rewarding and how it’s challenging at the same time as taking the perspective of a client and how difficult grief is. There couldn’t have possibly been a better time for me to pick this up and at the permission of this book, I just ate half a gallon of icecream. 

The art style is beautiful and colorful. I just pre-ordered two copies one for me and one for a coworker who works closely with grief. Though I had a personal experience with this, the talent of the author makes it so anyone can pick it up. I’m not sure I will ever stop gushing about this. It was so cute and also heartbreaking and hopeful, so many things all in once. I can’t wait to have a physical copy on my shelf. Please give it a shot. 

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Title: A Tempest of Tea Hafsah Faizal 

• Publication Date- 02/20/23
• Publisher- Macmillan Audio 
• Overall Rating- 3.5 out of 5 stars 

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

This was a highly anticipated read for me this year as it is for many. I want to start off by saying I gave it a 3.5 out of 5 but I don’t exactly feel let down. This is a YA fantasy so I did take into consideration the YA age group into my rating. Before we get into the story aspects, the audio is very good and I would highly recommend it. I am thankful I had the audio because I’m not sure I would have finished it otherwise. I really enjoyed the narrator's voices, they made the characters come to life. 

A Tempest of Tea is set in a dark and gritty Victorian-esque world. At the start of the book I thought this is what I wanted Six of Crows to be like, I still think this was better but I’m not a fan of SoC. I think fans of the SoC franchise will eat this up and love it. The first 20 percent really stuck out to me. We had vampires, tea, secret meeting rooms and badass characters. Over time, I lost the plot. I mean I wasn’t really confused, I understood the gist of what was happening but I felt like the story lost a lot of the exciting elements it started with. I think I will be in the minority for this but I am an honest reviewer. 

The relationships throughout the book and found family aspects were the strongest of the story. The worldbuilding started off as I said above, really interesting but overtime didn’t feel like it was part of the story anymore. Instead, the found family and background stories of the characters took over as well as a heist. I did enjoy those elements but I feel like if they had the interest that the beginning of the story had this would have been a 5 star read and possibly a new favorite. 

Again, I don’t really feel disappointed, there were just aspects I wish continued to stay strong throughout the story. The relationships between the characters are the only reason I didn’t DNF. Also, this is a vampire story, there are elements of vampirism throughout but it’s not really the main point of the story and that’s another area I hoped would have been stronger. 

With that being said, I think people will rave about this throughout 2024 so get on the hype!! Form our own opinions but I recommend giving it a shot especially if YA fantasy is your cup of tea ;)

Name Your Price by Holly James

lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

 

Title: Name Your Price by Holly James

• Publication Date- 07/30/23
• Publisher- Penguin Group Dutton
• Overall Rating- 3 out of 5 stars 

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Name Your Price by Holly James is a silly goofy time with some heavier topics surrounding aging family members and other family dynamics. I have to say the premise was really unique and those who enjoy reality tv will enjoy this. Some of the two main tropes are second chance romance and forced proximity. I enjoyed the game show elements and felt that it added an element to the story that wasn’t really like anything I had read before. That being said, I couldn't give it more than 3 stars. I had a hard time with the male love interest. He was not a kind guy. I understand that IRL we all make mistakes, do dumb things and are not always the nicest of humans. However, I felt like the things he did were unforgivable and it got to the point it didn’t make sense for the couple to be together. I enjoy realistic romances which include people making mistakes and the power of forgiveness. This male MC just felt so mean and unlikable that I didn’t enjoy the ending. In fact, I would have liked the novel a lot more had the ending been different. I also struggled with the elements of the game show, some things made sense others felt like convenience that didn’t suit the story as well. I am not normally this picky about romance books but something about this felt frustrating I think because so many elements of it were good and I wanted those to continue. I will say the spice scenes were written well, not too much and were a strong suit of the story (usually something I complain about). Lots of mixed thoughts, overall not mad I read it. If you’re looking for a lighter story with some deeper elements, I would recommend it. 

 

Right on Cue by Falon Ballard

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

 

Title: Right on Cue by Fallon Ballard 

• Publication Date- 02/27/24
• Publisher- Penguin Group Putnam 
• Overall Rating- 5 out of 5 stars 

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

I have had a really difficult time connecting to romance novels in the last few months. They are either too smutty, cringey or just aren’t interesting. I am happy to report that Right On Cue was a five star romance. I previously read and loved Lease on Love by Fallon Ballard and was blown away by it. She knows how to balance real life and whimsical romance. Though I have yet to read her release last year, I can tell her writing and storytelling has grown a lot since Lease on Love. I thoroughly enjoyed these characters, they were realistic and interesting. I enjoyed being on a movie set, navigating second chances and going through the ups and downs that they face together. There were several points in the book that I thought “oh why does it feel like we’ve reached the end and there’s still a lot of book left.” Well, Ballard does a good job of making you think the story is over and then adding layers that make sense. I appreciate that she used intimacy as a connecting factor and not as a method to sell the book. If you like really spicy romances, this isn’t for you. It has its moments but this is really a story about love, second chances and how love can exist even when two people are deeply flawed (as we all are). Fallon Ballard continues to be an auto read author for me. This did not let me down.  

 

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

Title: The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

• Publication Date- 02/13/24
• Publisher- Penguin Random House- Del Rey
• Overall Rating- 4 out of 5 stars 

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

I have to say, I have never read a book like this before. This was also my first book by Katherine Arden and I am pleased to say I thoroughly enjoyed her writing. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a well crafted historical fiction that adds the paranormal. I want to start off by saying if historical fiction is something you really dislike, it’s not like in the backdrop of this story, it is the main genre. I am not the biggest historical fiction person however, I really loved this. Just use extreme caution if you are not interested in WW1 and a very slow wartime story. If you can get past those elements there is so much to take away from this story. 

What worked: This is just such an interesting story about a deeply sad time in history. Often, we see historical fiction taking place during WW2. In my experience, it is rare to find a book about WW1. If you do decide to read this, make sure you read the author's note at the end it’s very important and informative and touches on the lack of interest in WW1. Throughout the story we learn about the madness and horrors that war creates and I appreciate that Katherine Arden showed how women were involved and the horrors they faced too which are almost always left out in literature. 

The characters, you will meet some deeply moving, resilient, bad ass characters. Wow, our main character, I would love to see this story be turned into a movie just so I can see her on screen. It would be impossible for me to formulate the words to show the strength these characters possessed that isn’t too far off from the real lives of those during WW1. This book doesn’t play sides. If you read it you’ll see what I mean. 

The paranormal aspects were very well developed and interesting. They also wove into the story in ways that made sense and weren’t too complicated. Reading this, makes me want to read the Bear and the Nightingale trilogy also by this author. She combines history and folklore in deeply meaningful ways. I’m realizing I’m using the word deep a lot but this book truly has depth to it in ways I didn’t expect. 

One of the strongest points of the book is the ending. I loved the ending. Not much else to say about that except read it and find out. This is a story that will stick with  me for a long time. 

What didn’t work: For some this story may be too slow. As someone who has grown to love slow pace, character stories, the middle of dragged on just a bit too much. That’s the only reason this isn’t a five star, I wonder if it could have been slightly shorter or if that’s my lack of experience with historical fiction speaking. This is really my only complaint. 

Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-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

4.0

Title: Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti

• Publication Date- 07/23/24
• Publisher- St. Martins Press 
• Overall Rating- 4 out of 5 stars 

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Man, I do love a good regency romance and this hit the spot. There’s something about the scandal and rules of society that just makes these romances better in my opinion. The story is very compelling, we have a young man suddenly in charge of his two younger siblings and with that he needs to find a partner in order to get custody of them. So, there’s some marriage of convenience in there. The first half of the book was SO funny. In particular there is one scene about 4 percent into the book that I will never forget, it just had me rolling. When you get to it all you need to know its “hells bells,” I was gone. 

I loved the characters in this story. Both MC’s are very likable and socially progressive for their time which was interesting to read about. There is also a strong sense of found family. The only reason this wasn’t a full five star is because I felt like after the first half of the book we didn’t get as much of the humor and connection with the kids. I will own this is a personal preference for me and I just felt like the first half really nailed and I would have loved to see more of that. 

This is a promising new author in the regency space and I honestly can’t wait to see what else she puts out. As far as spice goes, the first half is pretty clean but as the two MC’s get closer it does ramp up. I would say it was pretty spicy for my taste and probably about mid for everyone else. 

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

3.0

Title: Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur 

• Publication Date- 04/30/24
• Publisher- Avon and Harper Voyager 
• Overall Rating- 3 out of 5

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Truly, Madly, Deeply is a silly goofy time. That’s really what you need to know. This is a story that if you try to take too seriously, you likely will not enjoy. I have read several Alexandria Bellefleur stories and I would say this is similar to what we have seen from her in the past, if not even more light hearted. So, to start of this review, if you’re looking for a silly, goofy, time you found it in this novel. It’s funny at times, and nothing too deep happens. We all have periods of time in our lives that we just want to kick back and watch two characters fall in love. You’ll get that here. 

Because of the things I said above, I couldn’t give this 5 stars. I wanted more meaningful interactions between the characters. I didn’t need anything too serious, but I would have enjoyed it slightly more had there been some element of seriousness to it. Again, if you’re looking for a book that is almost completely without that, pick this up. There is a place for books like this. We often get bogged down with stories that hit too deep. This is a good one to fill the lightheartedness gap. 

As far as tropes go, this is enemies to lovers kind of turned insta love? In summary, if you have enjoyed the author before you will enjoy this story. I do just want to make a quick comment on the synopsis that may be misleading for some. It says that they go from enemies to friends to lovers. Yes, but skip the friend part. I never felt that they truly entered into the friend realm. 

That’s all, go have a silly, goofy, time now.