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Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
The blurb from this book sounds so adorable! Noelle Tom eats some dumplings at a night market and suddenly finds herself reliving the same day over and over again and she can't figure out how to escape her own personal Ground Hog's Day. To make matters worse, she meets Cam, who she thinks can help her escape her loop but finds herself falling for him at the same time. She's determined to figure out how to help him remember her as her life resets every day but she's also determined to get herself out of the loop and move on with her life.
I was excited for the concept of this book. Given the positive reviews I was seeing, I had high hopes I would enjoy the story. I loved the thought of a meet cute that happens over and over again, each time with the FMC tweaking things to try and make them more perfect in the hopes she'll wake up the next day and have moved on. A bit of magical realism amongst a romance story. I really couldn't wait to see how the author built the plot and made the story move forward. Unfortunately, this book ended up not hitting the mark for me at all.
I'll start with the characters. The pros were their diversity. I loved how Lau wove in the different cultures. Though I myself even found a mistake with one of the things she wove in and that bothered me a bit. And I enjoyed the friendship Noelle built with her new friend Avery. But other than these two things, I wasn't a fan of either main character. They were so flat. Noelle does not strike me as a woman who is close to 30. As a matter of fact, she acted more like a college aged girl. She's whiny, annoying, and unlikable. She claims she is being challenged by the time loop but I didn't see any growth from the challenges she purported to be going through. Cam was harder to understand as we don't get a lot of him during the book. The author chose to use dual POV but not only did we have limited chapters from Cam's POV, those chapters were super short. It was truly hard to get to know him and I'm not sure why his chapters were included at all.
The first 50% of the book focuses on the time loop and literally nothing happens. It's just Noelle living those days over and over again. Yes, I know this is the point of the book, but each day should have brought some growth and it just wasn't there. There is some growth with her friendship with Avery. However, the chemistry the author tried to build between Noelle and Cam seemed forced and I didn't feel their connection at all. And the sex scenes were cringe for me. When the time loop is finally resolved, I had no idea why or how. I thought perhaps I would see that why in the second half of the book but, alas, that didn't really happen. I struggled to push myself through the book in the hopes the relationships would grow and change and we would finally have the conclusion as to why the time loop happened but it never came to fruition.
I contemplated DNFing this book multiple times during my read especially in the first 50%. I was very bored with the 170+ days of reliving the same exact scenario. Even the second half was slow and didn't build the tension I was expecting.
Finally, there was so much telling in this book. And it was like the main characters were just narrating every aspect of what they were doing. Everything just glazed over the surface rather than delving into what could have been some interesting information for the reader to help understand the characters and their struggles.
The best part of the book was the plot twist that happens at the end, like in the last 10%. But getting there was definitely a struggle.
I've not read any other books by this author so I don't have anything to compare this one to but just having read this I'm not really interested in finding out. There was nothing drawing me back to this book when I would put it down. I had to force myself to finish it. The concept was there but the execution fell completely flat and missed the mark of what could have been a fun and entertaining read. I read a lot of romance and have read quite a few with magical realism but this one was just not for me. Not every book is for everyone and given the high ratings, I'm sure I am in the minority and others will enjoy this one much more than I did.
The blurb from this book sounds so adorable! Noelle Tom eats some dumplings at a night market and suddenly finds herself reliving the same day over and over again and she can't figure out how to escape her own personal Ground Hog's Day. To make matters worse, she meets Cam, who she thinks can help her escape her loop but finds herself falling for him at the same time. She's determined to figure out how to help him remember her as her life resets every day but she's also determined to get herself out of the loop and move on with her life.
I was excited for the concept of this book. Given the positive reviews I was seeing, I had high hopes I would enjoy the story. I loved the thought of a meet cute that happens over and over again, each time with the FMC tweaking things to try and make them more perfect in the hopes she'll wake up the next day and have moved on. A bit of magical realism amongst a romance story. I really couldn't wait to see how the author built the plot and made the story move forward. Unfortunately, this book ended up not hitting the mark for me at all.
I'll start with the characters. The pros were their diversity. I loved how Lau wove in the different cultures. Though I myself even found a mistake with one of the things she wove in and that bothered me a bit. And I enjoyed the friendship Noelle built with her new friend Avery. But other than these two things, I wasn't a fan of either main character. They were so flat. Noelle does not strike me as a woman who is close to 30. As a matter of fact, she acted more like a college aged girl. She's whiny, annoying, and unlikable. She claims she is being challenged by the time loop but I didn't see any growth from the challenges she purported to be going through. Cam was harder to understand as we don't get a lot of him during the book. The author chose to use dual POV but not only did we have limited chapters from Cam's POV, those chapters were super short. It was truly hard to get to know him and I'm not sure why his chapters were included at all.
The first 50% of the book focuses on the time loop and literally nothing happens. It's just Noelle living those days over and over again. Yes, I know this is the point of the book, but each day should have brought some growth and it just wasn't there. There is some growth with her friendship with Avery. However, the chemistry the author tried to build between Noelle and Cam seemed forced and I didn't feel their connection at all. And the sex scenes were cringe for me. When the time loop is finally resolved, I had no idea why or how. I thought perhaps I would see that why in the second half of the book but, alas, that didn't really happen. I struggled to push myself through the book in the hopes the relationships would grow and change and we would finally have the conclusion as to why the time loop happened but it never came to fruition.
I contemplated DNFing this book multiple times during my read especially in the first 50%. I was very bored with the 170+ days of reliving the same exact scenario. Even the second half was slow and didn't build the tension I was expecting.
Finally, there was so much telling in this book. And it was like the main characters were just narrating every aspect of what they were doing. Everything just glazed over the surface rather than delving into what could have been some interesting information for the reader to help understand the characters and their struggles.
The best part of the book was the plot twist that happens at the end, like in the last 10%. But getting there was definitely a struggle.
I've not read any other books by this author so I don't have anything to compare this one to but just having read this I'm not really interested in finding out. There was nothing drawing me back to this book when I would put it down. I had to force myself to finish it. The concept was there but the execution fell completely flat and missed the mark of what could have been a fun and entertaining read. I read a lot of romance and have read quite a few with magical realism but this one was just not for me. Not every book is for everyone and given the high ratings, I'm sure I am in the minority and others will enjoy this one much more than I did.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I cannot express how excited I was when I heard Fortune was going to write Charlie's story. I wasn't a lover of Charlie when I read Every Summer After, but I knew there had to be more to him than I saw in that book. I knew Charlie need his own HEA. And boy was I right! Warning, though, if you have not read the first book, I do not recommend jumping right into this one. The background the first book provides is pretty critical to who Charlie is and also to his relationship with his brother, Sam, and Percy. You wouldn't be lost, perse, but you would not completely understand the dynamics at work.
This book picks up a few years after Every Summer After. It's summer once again and the lake is bustling. Alice Everly decides she is in need a break from life. Her grandmother, Nan, is recovering from surgery, her photography career is not going as she planned, and she's still struggling to get over her most recent break up. What better place to relax and rejuvenate than Barry's Bay! Alice has fond memories of the place and the photo that launched her photography career was taken there the summer of her 17th birthday. She's expecting to go there and feel what she once felt for her photography, what she's not expecting is Charlie Florek.
Alice is a great character. She's well developed and completely relatable. I really enjoyed watching her find herself at the lake. She arrives with only the thought that she must help her Nan get better but that's not all that happens. Along the way, she realizes many things about herself and grows from that. She takes hold of her life, she finds direction, and she finds love she wasn't expecting (even if it's not what was agreed upon). At first I thought she might be more timid than she was, but she's not at all. She's strong and resilient. She doesn't adapt easily at first but once she realizes she needs to open herself up to new possibilities, she becomes so very strong.
Charlie might just be one of my favorite book boyfriends. he's charming and has so much humor. But He's closed also off when it comes to love and he struggles with his own past and the luggage he seems to carry from his loss. He doesn't believe he's worthy of it from anyone. He believes all he is good for is fun and doesn't want to weigh anyone down with the baggage he has. But he wasn't expecting Alice and how her love language is to take care of others, including him. I won't get into his issues, as they become paramount to the story and I certainly don't want to spoil anything. But Charlie has secrets he holds close to his chest, things he doesn't want others burdened with.
If you're looking for an amazing slow burn romance, look no further. The flirting! The touching! The gazing! Not to mention amazing banter! It's all right here. Carley builds the relationship between Alice and Charlie in little spurts. Each time letting the characters open to each other, though Alice opens more than Charlie does (at least until the end). But don't overlook the other connections that are made in this book. The found family aspect is very strong.
And I would be remiss if I didn't mention this book contains some of our favorite characters, mainly Sam and Percy. While we don't get a ton of them, we get enough to show their HEA continues to shine. And I absolutely love the connection Alice finds with Percy. Being a woman who doesn't have many close friends, I connected with this part of Alice very well. So when she had the opportunity to have a strong, independent, loving woman come into her life and be her friend, I cheered it on!
The lake, oh the lake! So much nostalgia packed into this story. I spent some summers when I was younger going to my friend's bungalow colony in New York. Her father owned two and one was right on a lake. I remember our lazy days of swimming, boating, fishing, and just laying out on the floating dock. It was so much fun and these books never fail to bring back those memories and the feelings that go along with them. Like me, Alice seems much more relaxed and happy at the lake. Days are spent lounging and not worrying about anything from real life. It's its own little bubble world of summer and fun. Fortune paints a great picture of what it looks like. This book made me laugh, cry, smile, swoon, and just downright feel happy. Tears were shed, in a good way, and my heart was full at the end. That, my friends, is the crux of a good story.
If I say the pacing in this one is fast, I would not be telling a lie. I truly didn't want to put it down. Fortune made me want to turn the pages over and over again so I could continue to bask in Alice and Charlie's story. I didn't want it to end, though. And, as I got closer to finishing it, all I could think to myself is when will Fortune be putting out another book? I love her plot lines. She does a great slow burn build with her characters.
This book is not only about finding yourself and what makes you happy, but the journey getting there and all those people who stand beside you (friends and family) to lift you up and help you shine. It's about support and generosity and keeping your heart open to new feelings and opportunities. It's also about sticking to your guns and morals and making sure you feel right about where you are and where you're going. If I could give this book infinity stars, I would. It hit all my spots for a great romantic story without being overly dramatic. If you're looking for a hot flirtatious boy who meets an artistic and people pleasing girl who both find, in the end, their lives are so much better when they open their hearts to love, then pick this up, sit down with it, and thank me later!
I cannot express how excited I was when I heard Fortune was going to write Charlie's story. I wasn't a lover of Charlie when I read Every Summer After, but I knew there had to be more to him than I saw in that book. I knew Charlie need his own HEA. And boy was I right! Warning, though, if you have not read the first book, I do not recommend jumping right into this one. The background the first book provides is pretty critical to who Charlie is and also to his relationship with his brother, Sam, and Percy. You wouldn't be lost, perse, but you would not completely understand the dynamics at work.
This book picks up a few years after Every Summer After. It's summer once again and the lake is bustling. Alice Everly decides she is in need a break from life. Her grandmother, Nan, is recovering from surgery, her photography career is not going as she planned, and she's still struggling to get over her most recent break up. What better place to relax and rejuvenate than Barry's Bay! Alice has fond memories of the place and the photo that launched her photography career was taken there the summer of her 17th birthday. She's expecting to go there and feel what she once felt for her photography, what she's not expecting is Charlie Florek.
Alice is a great character. She's well developed and completely relatable. I really enjoyed watching her find herself at the lake. She arrives with only the thought that she must help her Nan get better but that's not all that happens. Along the way, she realizes many things about herself and grows from that. She takes hold of her life, she finds direction, and she finds love she wasn't expecting (even if it's not what was agreed upon). At first I thought she might be more timid than she was, but she's not at all. She's strong and resilient. She doesn't adapt easily at first but once she realizes she needs to open herself up to new possibilities, she becomes so very strong.
Charlie might just be one of my favorite book boyfriends. he's charming and has so much humor. But He's closed also off when it comes to love and he struggles with his own past and the luggage he seems to carry from his loss. He doesn't believe he's worthy of it from anyone. He believes all he is good for is fun and doesn't want to weigh anyone down with the baggage he has. But he wasn't expecting Alice and how her love language is to take care of others, including him. I won't get into his issues, as they become paramount to the story and I certainly don't want to spoil anything. But Charlie has secrets he holds close to his chest, things he doesn't want others burdened with.
If you're looking for an amazing slow burn romance, look no further. The flirting! The touching! The gazing! Not to mention amazing banter! It's all right here. Carley builds the relationship between Alice and Charlie in little spurts. Each time letting the characters open to each other, though Alice opens more than Charlie does (at least until the end). But don't overlook the other connections that are made in this book. The found family aspect is very strong.
And I would be remiss if I didn't mention this book contains some of our favorite characters, mainly Sam and Percy. While we don't get a ton of them, we get enough to show their HEA continues to shine. And I absolutely love the connection Alice finds with Percy. Being a woman who doesn't have many close friends, I connected with this part of Alice very well. So when she had the opportunity to have a strong, independent, loving woman come into her life and be her friend, I cheered it on!
The lake, oh the lake! So much nostalgia packed into this story. I spent some summers when I was younger going to my friend's bungalow colony in New York. Her father owned two and one was right on a lake. I remember our lazy days of swimming, boating, fishing, and just laying out on the floating dock. It was so much fun and these books never fail to bring back those memories and the feelings that go along with them. Like me, Alice seems much more relaxed and happy at the lake. Days are spent lounging and not worrying about anything from real life. It's its own little bubble world of summer and fun. Fortune paints a great picture of what it looks like. This book made me laugh, cry, smile, swoon, and just downright feel happy. Tears were shed, in a good way, and my heart was full at the end. That, my friends, is the crux of a good story.
If I say the pacing in this one is fast, I would not be telling a lie. I truly didn't want to put it down. Fortune made me want to turn the pages over and over again so I could continue to bask in Alice and Charlie's story. I didn't want it to end, though. And, as I got closer to finishing it, all I could think to myself is when will Fortune be putting out another book? I love her plot lines. She does a great slow burn build with her characters.
This book is not only about finding yourself and what makes you happy, but the journey getting there and all those people who stand beside you (friends and family) to lift you up and help you shine. It's about support and generosity and keeping your heart open to new feelings and opportunities. It's also about sticking to your guns and morals and making sure you feel right about where you are and where you're going. If I could give this book infinity stars, I would. It hit all my spots for a great romantic story without being overly dramatic. If you're looking for a hot flirtatious boy who meets an artistic and people pleasing girl who both find, in the end, their lives are so much better when they open their hearts to love, then pick this up, sit down with it, and thank me later!
The Shadow Bride by Shelby Mahurin
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Thank you to Harper Colins and Edelweiss for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
To say I was excited to read this installment in the Serpent and Dove world is an understatement. The Scarlet Veil was one of my top reads for 2024. I enjoyed Serpent and Dove by The Scarlet Veil too Mahurin's story and writing to the next level. And since it ended on a huge cliffhanger, I had been chomping at the bit to get an early copy and see the outcome.
This book starts off right where the last book left off, so don't go reading this thinking you'll understand anything at all. You have to have the background from the first book. I would even say you need the background from the Serpent and Dove trilogy to truly understand it all. Reading this series without having read the trilogy will ruin relationships for you and leave you wondering about the magic system and how the world was built.
Celie is a vampire and her world has been thrown into upheaval. Death is hounding her to take her place as his bride and she is trying her hardest to adjust to her new life while keeping her friends safe.
I really loved Celie's growth in the first book of this series. I wasn't a fan of hers from the trilogy but The Scarlet Veil really pushed her to a height I wasn't expecting. Unfortunately, she didn't grow more with this book. That growth leveled out and this book was more about her fighting the good fight and saving the world (and her friends and family along with it). She does come into herself a bit as her new form: a vampire. She learns what she needs to do to survive. But above that she is the same.
I will say I enjoyed the romance in this. It was a slight slow burn, which we had in the first book, as well. But the first book showed the relationship might not go anywhere where this book focuses on her and Michal becoming closer and falling into each other. Michal had the most growth in this book of any of the characters. I do wish there was more than one point of view in the book so I could have been a bit inside his head.
More than anything, I love the side characters in this book. I feel like they are my friends given their development from the beginning of the first trilogy. I enjoyed how they were always there for Celie, accepting her for who she is and not judging her for who she was.
The pacing of this book was definitely slower for me than the first. I didn't feel drawn to run and read it whenever I had a chance, though I wanted to. And there were times I was actually bored and found myself skimming and then having to go back so I could understand what was happening. I dare say it suffers from second book syndrome even though this series is a duology. The journy the characters take is kind of all over the place jumping back and forth between the veil but never getting anywhere until the very end. The story was a little disjointed, as well. Sometimes I was totally lost as to what the characters were talking about or doing and how it related to the story. Other times they would come to conclusions that I didn't really understand. Perhaps had I read the books back to back I may have been more in tune, though I do remember the first book quite well.
There were quite a few plot holes, with things being forgotten that were important to the story line making for a messy read at times. Elements that made no sense being part of the story and leaving me wondering why they may have even been introduced if they were never fully developed. It pulled me out of the story and made me feel lost. And I had a hard time visualizing some of the scenes.
Overall, this was more disappointing to me than I would have liked. I did enjoy the story and I was pretty happy with the ending but overall I just felt like it wasn't as tightly put together as the first book.
To say I was excited to read this installment in the Serpent and Dove world is an understatement. The Scarlet Veil was one of my top reads for 2024. I enjoyed Serpent and Dove by The Scarlet Veil too Mahurin's story and writing to the next level. And since it ended on a huge cliffhanger, I had been chomping at the bit to get an early copy and see the outcome.
This book starts off right where the last book left off, so don't go reading this thinking you'll understand anything at all. You have to have the background from the first book. I would even say you need the background from the Serpent and Dove trilogy to truly understand it all. Reading this series without having read the trilogy will ruin relationships for you and leave you wondering about the magic system and how the world was built.
Celie is a vampire and her world has been thrown into upheaval. Death is hounding her to take her place as his bride and she is trying her hardest to adjust to her new life while keeping her friends safe.
I really loved Celie's growth in the first book of this series. I wasn't a fan of hers from the trilogy but The Scarlet Veil really pushed her to a height I wasn't expecting. Unfortunately, she didn't grow more with this book. That growth leveled out and this book was more about her fighting the good fight and saving the world (and her friends and family along with it). She does come into herself a bit as her new form: a vampire. She learns what she needs to do to survive. But above that she is the same.
I will say I enjoyed the romance in this. It was a slight slow burn, which we had in the first book, as well. But the first book showed the relationship might not go anywhere where this book focuses on her and Michal becoming closer and falling into each other. Michal had the most growth in this book of any of the characters. I do wish there was more than one point of view in the book so I could have been a bit inside his head.
More than anything, I love the side characters in this book. I feel like they are my friends given their development from the beginning of the first trilogy. I enjoyed how they were always there for Celie, accepting her for who she is and not judging her for who she was.
The pacing of this book was definitely slower for me than the first. I didn't feel drawn to run and read it whenever I had a chance, though I wanted to. And there were times I was actually bored and found myself skimming and then having to go back so I could understand what was happening. I dare say it suffers from second book syndrome even though this series is a duology. The journy the characters take is kind of all over the place jumping back and forth between the veil but never getting anywhere until the very end. The story was a little disjointed, as well. Sometimes I was totally lost as to what the characters were talking about or doing and how it related to the story. Other times they would come to conclusions that I didn't really understand. Perhaps had I read the books back to back I may have been more in tune, though I do remember the first book quite well.
There were quite a few plot holes, with things being forgotten that were important to the story line making for a messy read at times. Elements that made no sense being part of the story and leaving me wondering why they may have even been introduced if they were never fully developed. It pulled me out of the story and made me feel lost. And I had a hard time visualizing some of the scenes.
Overall, this was more disappointing to me than I would have liked. I did enjoy the story and I was pretty happy with the ending but overall I just felt like it wasn't as tightly put together as the first book.
The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Are you looking for a cute, small town, slow burn romance series with some magic sprinkled in? Then you should be reading the Moonville series by Sarah Hogle. If you love Sarah Hawley's Glimmer Falls series (which I ADORED), you will enjoy these stories and characters. While you don't need to read the first book in the series to read this one, I definitely found this one more enjoyable because I knew the side characters. I highly recommend reading them in order but if you don't mind knowing some outcomes for the other characters, then pick this one up and dive in!
I will say, this one had much more magic than the first book did. I wasn't expecting the level of magic to be ramped up so much but I loved it for that reason so much more.
After many disastrous moves and an inability to write anything new for her publisher, Zelda Tempest moves home to live with her sisters in the hopes creativity will spark. What she wasn't expecting was Morgan Angelopoulos to get in her way. And she certainly wasn't expecting the foretelling of her and her sister's love lives to take shape and become true!
I really liked Zelda. She was quirky and creative and a lot of fun to get to know. I also loved that Hogle included some mental health representation with her character. Someone who could not keep herself together but learned that medication and talking about her issues helps. She questions everything, including the witchiness of her sisters and niece. She's a skeptic and doesn't want to give into her base being of magic. But holding it back just makes her more confused. Once she accepts who she is, she blossoms so much.
Morgan is an interesting character. To be honest, he was hard to figure out. He's a bit eccentric and unusual not only in his personality but in his dress and the way he presents himself. I didn't get much of a read on him when I read the first book, just that he was a journalist who had taken up residence in their store. I enjoyed getting to know him more in this book.
I loved the idea of the enemies to lovers trope in this book. Though I'm not sure they were so much enemies as they were forced to be in each other's proximity. And Zelda gave off the grumpy vibes while Morgan was definitely more sunshine. Their chemistry was a bit unusual. One moment Zelda is saying she knows she needs to find her true love but it's not Morgan and the next she's kissing him. There's a lot of push and pull on her end. Morgan, on the other hand, has his mind made up from the start; he knows he wants Zelda but he is patient enough to wait for her until she realizes what they have.
It was fun seeing all the characters from the first book. Especially Zelda's sisters, Romina and Luna. And I love Zelda's niece Aisling. It would be fun for her to have a book, though she's a little young for such romance yet!
One thing I will say is that Hogle does a lot of jumping around in this book. At some points, I was rather confused with what was happening and had to read scenes a few times to have the plot click. Other times, I felt like a chapter ended and then jumped somewhere else, but the previous plot point was not wrapped up. I feel like the magic sometimes got in the way of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the first. I'd love to pick up some of the other titles this author has written. And I'm looking foward to Luna's story because I know it's going to be a doozy!
Are you looking for a cute, small town, slow burn romance series with some magic sprinkled in? Then you should be reading the Moonville series by Sarah Hogle. If you love Sarah Hawley's Glimmer Falls series (which I ADORED), you will enjoy these stories and characters. While you don't need to read the first book in the series to read this one, I definitely found this one more enjoyable because I knew the side characters. I highly recommend reading them in order but if you don't mind knowing some outcomes for the other characters, then pick this one up and dive in!
I will say, this one had much more magic than the first book did. I wasn't expecting the level of magic to be ramped up so much but I loved it for that reason so much more.
After many disastrous moves and an inability to write anything new for her publisher, Zelda Tempest moves home to live with her sisters in the hopes creativity will spark. What she wasn't expecting was Morgan Angelopoulos to get in her way. And she certainly wasn't expecting the foretelling of her and her sister's love lives to take shape and become true!
I really liked Zelda. She was quirky and creative and a lot of fun to get to know. I also loved that Hogle included some mental health representation with her character. Someone who could not keep herself together but learned that medication and talking about her issues helps. She questions everything, including the witchiness of her sisters and niece. She's a skeptic and doesn't want to give into her base being of magic. But holding it back just makes her more confused. Once she accepts who she is, she blossoms so much.
Morgan is an interesting character. To be honest, he was hard to figure out. He's a bit eccentric and unusual not only in his personality but in his dress and the way he presents himself. I didn't get much of a read on him when I read the first book, just that he was a journalist who had taken up residence in their store. I enjoyed getting to know him more in this book.
I loved the idea of the enemies to lovers trope in this book. Though I'm not sure they were so much enemies as they were forced to be in each other's proximity. And Zelda gave off the grumpy vibes while Morgan was definitely more sunshine. Their chemistry was a bit unusual. One moment Zelda is saying she knows she needs to find her true love but it's not Morgan and the next she's kissing him. There's a lot of push and pull on her end. Morgan, on the other hand, has his mind made up from the start; he knows he wants Zelda but he is patient enough to wait for her until she realizes what they have.
It was fun seeing all the characters from the first book. Especially Zelda's sisters, Romina and Luna. And I love Zelda's niece Aisling. It would be fun for her to have a book, though she's a little young for such romance yet!
One thing I will say is that Hogle does a lot of jumping around in this book. At some points, I was rather confused with what was happening and had to read scenes a few times to have the plot click. Other times, I felt like a chapter ended and then jumped somewhere else, but the previous plot point was not wrapped up. I feel like the magic sometimes got in the way of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the first. I'd love to pick up some of the other titles this author has written. And I'm looking foward to Luna's story because I know it's going to be a doozy!
With You Forever by Chloe Liese
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
4.0
Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.0
Review to comeThank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballentine for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I've been a fan of Jennifer E. Smith for a long time. Her YA books really are great and I was excited when she decided to take a dive into the adult world. I really enjoyed the Unsinkable Gretta James and was excited when I was approved to read this new title early!
This book is about family and it's ups and downs. The crises family goes through together and apart. The rifts that are made and then healed through time and space. It's an emotional journey of a family finding itself again and realizing how much they all need each other despite the secrets they've kept and the mistakes they made. Despite the title and fun cover, there are some very heavy subjects addressed in this book. Smith does so with care, honesty, and, above all, kindness.
Smith presents us with four siblings who follow completely different life paths from soccer star, to movie star, to well known author, to every day marketing strategist. Three years ago they stopped speaking to one another, despite having been close all their lives. Despite having been raised more or less by their oldest sister because their parents were physically and emotionally unavailable. There's so much trauma they have all endured over the years dealing with parents who just were not there. The bond they share truly is unbreakable, despite the distance they put between them.
Each character has a very unique story and Smith does a wonderful job developing them and showing who they are.
Gemma, the oldest, who is trying for a baby at 43 and not sure she would ever really make a good mother. Connor, the author who shot to stardom telling a tale that rather closely resembles the story of his family's life. Roddy, the star soccer player who is aging out of the sport and trying for one last time to be known, despite the rift it puts between him and his partner. And, finally, Jude, Roddy's twin and the famous movie start who has always been rather closed off with what is going on in her life but who organizes a trip to bring the family back together and put all her cards on the table. Smith uses each character to tell us not only about themselves, but about their family and the ups and downs that have been the Endicott's. I enjoyed hearing from each unique character; seeing the story from these different points of view made it whole.
What begins as a trip to bring the family back together, quickly devolves into a weekend of drama when they are snowed in at a cabin with no electricity. The story unravels showing us both the present and the past. Smith builds on their relationships through the flashbacks. And also gives us insight into the secrets all the siblings are holding close to their hearts.
The story is an emotional rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. It started off a bit slow for me as Smith built the world and showed us who each character was but it picked up once all the siblings were finally together and their stories started to unfold. I had moments where I was laughing out loud and moments were the tears flowed freely. It was definitely a trip worth taking. And the ending was done nicely. I love that Smith didn't tie everything up into a neat little package, That there was still trauma for the siblings to process and an understanding that they always needed to be there for each other no matter what. Smith creates believable characters who drive a poignant and touching story through a nostalgic journey, steal your heart, and make you trust in the power of the family bond.
I've been a fan of Jennifer E. Smith for a long time. Her YA books really are great and I was excited when she decided to take a dive into the adult world. I really enjoyed the Unsinkable Gretta James and was excited when I was approved to read this new title early!
This book is about family and it's ups and downs. The crises family goes through together and apart. The rifts that are made and then healed through time and space. It's an emotional journey of a family finding itself again and realizing how much they all need each other despite the secrets they've kept and the mistakes they made. Despite the title and fun cover, there are some very heavy subjects addressed in this book. Smith does so with care, honesty, and, above all, kindness.
Smith presents us with four siblings who follow completely different life paths from soccer star, to movie star, to well known author, to every day marketing strategist. Three years ago they stopped speaking to one another, despite having been close all their lives. Despite having been raised more or less by their oldest sister because their parents were physically and emotionally unavailable. There's so much trauma they have all endured over the years dealing with parents who just were not there. The bond they share truly is unbreakable, despite the distance they put between them.
Each character has a very unique story and Smith does a wonderful job developing them and showing who they are.
Gemma, the oldest, who is trying for a baby at 43 and not sure she would ever really make a good mother. Connor, the author who shot to stardom telling a tale that rather closely resembles the story of his family's life. Roddy, the star soccer player who is aging out of the sport and trying for one last time to be known, despite the rift it puts between him and his partner. And, finally, Jude, Roddy's twin and the famous movie start who has always been rather closed off with what is going on in her life but who organizes a trip to bring the family back together and put all her cards on the table. Smith uses each character to tell us not only about themselves, but about their family and the ups and downs that have been the Endicott's. I enjoyed hearing from each unique character; seeing the story from these different points of view made it whole.
What begins as a trip to bring the family back together, quickly devolves into a weekend of drama when they are snowed in at a cabin with no electricity. The story unravels showing us both the present and the past. Smith builds on their relationships through the flashbacks. And also gives us insight into the secrets all the siblings are holding close to their hearts.
The story is an emotional rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. It started off a bit slow for me as Smith built the world and showed us who each character was but it picked up once all the siblings were finally together and their stories started to unfold. I had moments where I was laughing out loud and moments were the tears flowed freely. It was definitely a trip worth taking. And the ending was done nicely. I love that Smith didn't tie everything up into a neat little package, That there was still trauma for the siblings to process and an understanding that they always needed to be there for each other no matter what. Smith creates believable characters who drive a poignant and touching story through a nostalgic journey, steal your heart, and make you trust in the power of the family bond.
Firebird by Juliette Cross
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
DNF at 60%
Thank you to NetGalley and Bramble for supplying me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Let me start by saying I have been a Juliette Cross fan for a very long time. Before anyone really knew who she was. I love her writing and her stories. This one had such promise with it's setting in the Roman empire to the fact that dragons were included as the new history. I was excited to see how the world was built and how Cross would bring the dragons into that time period.
Unfortunately, this one was just not for me despite the excitement I had to read it.
What I did like:
The prologue and what it could potentially mean.
The idea of the book and it's setting. This time period is very intriguing to me as I haven't studied as much as others. I was looking forward to learning more.
Dual point of view is always something that I adore. It helps me to understand the characters so much more when I get to be in their heads.
Men who become dragons. Yes, please! I love the idea of this transformation. And in the setting of war it's that much more fascinating.
What I was not fond of:
I'm totally and completely surprised there were no trigger warnings at the beginning of this book. I do not have any TW myself, but the contents of this book and quite a few of it's themes will definitely trigger some people. I know this is an ARC but at this point in the publishing phase, when they know exactly what the book contains, TW should be offered.
The world building just was not there. I didn't understand how the dragons were part of the world. Seeing as in history there were no dragons during this time period, I needed to truly see how things fit. The prologue did give us some understanding of it but the world building stopped there. Then the book became a journey of the romance. Don't get me wrong, I love romance and especially romantasy, but there has to be a story line to go with it. At over halfway through the book, I was still struggling to figure out just exactly what that storyline was. And when we were given any snippets of what the war was about, the information was told to us rather than shown. I was also confused by the magic in the book. I have no idea what it is about or how the system works.
I needed more character development. Same as with the world building, the characters were never shown to us but rather we are told about them over and over again from the FMC or MMC's point of view. While the dual point of view usually works for me, the characters didn't seem all that different when they were narrating, Their voices were practically the same.
The romance was also just not there for me. I needed chemistry between these two characters and by the time we had our first spicy romantic scene, I still didn't feel it. The FMC kept saying she was attracted to him, but it was never shown. Same with the MMC.
Finally, the pacing was just slow. I felt like nothing was happening. I found myself skimming paragraphs of narrative so I could get to the dialogue in the hopes of getting some information.
Overall I just felt like this book needed so much more tightening and fleshing out. I'm sad I didn't like it but I do see it's gotten many good reviews and I'm sure others will enjoy the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bramble for supplying me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Let me start by saying I have been a Juliette Cross fan for a very long time. Before anyone really knew who she was. I love her writing and her stories. This one had such promise with it's setting in the Roman empire to the fact that dragons were included as the new history. I was excited to see how the world was built and how Cross would bring the dragons into that time period.
Unfortunately, this one was just not for me despite the excitement I had to read it.
What I did like:
The prologue and what it could potentially mean.
The idea of the book and it's setting. This time period is very intriguing to me as I haven't studied as much as others. I was looking forward to learning more.
Dual point of view is always something that I adore. It helps me to understand the characters so much more when I get to be in their heads.
Men who become dragons. Yes, please! I love the idea of this transformation. And in the setting of war it's that much more fascinating.
What I was not fond of:
I'm totally and completely surprised there were no trigger warnings at the beginning of this book. I do not have any TW myself, but the contents of this book and quite a few of it's themes will definitely trigger some people. I know this is an ARC but at this point in the publishing phase, when they know exactly what the book contains, TW should be offered.
The world building just was not there. I didn't understand how the dragons were part of the world. Seeing as in history there were no dragons during this time period, I needed to truly see how things fit. The prologue did give us some understanding of it but the world building stopped there. Then the book became a journey of the romance. Don't get me wrong, I love romance and especially romantasy, but there has to be a story line to go with it. At over halfway through the book, I was still struggling to figure out just exactly what that storyline was. And when we were given any snippets of what the war was about, the information was told to us rather than shown. I was also confused by the magic in the book. I have no idea what it is about or how the system works.
I needed more character development. Same as with the world building, the characters were never shown to us but rather we are told about them over and over again from the FMC or MMC's point of view. While the dual point of view usually works for me, the characters didn't seem all that different when they were narrating, Their voices were practically the same.
The romance was also just not there for me. I needed chemistry between these two characters and by the time we had our first spicy romantic scene, I still didn't feel it. The FMC kept saying she was attracted to him, but it was never shown. Same with the MMC.
Finally, the pacing was just slow. I felt like nothing was happening. I found myself skimming paragraphs of narrative so I could get to the dialogue in the hopes of getting some information.
Overall I just felt like this book needed so much more tightening and fleshing out. I'm sad I didn't like it but I do see it's gotten many good reviews and I'm sure others will enjoy the story.
Enchantra by Kaylie Smith
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing me with an egalley of this title to review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I am totally enamored with this world and this author's writing. When I picked up Phantasma, I wasn't sure I'd like it. There was so much hype over it and often times I am disappointed with the books that get such publicity. But it was a great story that sucked me right in and made me fall in love with all the characters. I was truly excited to pick up this second installment and see where Smith would take it.
This book takes us across the ocean to Italy, far from the world of New Orleans we encountered in the first book. But the country where the book doesn't matter so much as the place. As with the first book, this book takes place on the grounds of an estate. This time one hidden away in the hills. We encounter Ophelia's sister, Genevieve, who is searching for others like her. She stumbles across a letter her mother received from an old friend, Barrington Silver, and decides to the write up on their offer to come for a stay. But her timing could not be worse as she enters and ends up being trapped for the duration of a deadly game the estate's residents are forced to play every year.
In all honesty, I was expecting a bit more from the setting of this book. After all, it takes place in Italy. I wanted to see the hills of Tuscany and how they might play into the story. But the country really didn't matter. The story could have taken place at an estate anywhere in the world and still been a fabulous read. I do understand the need for the author to move the location given that Phantasma moves around and we'd already experienced it in New Orleans. What I did love was the sprawling estate with rooms upon rooms and secret passages in all the nooks and crannies. Oh, and there's a hedge maze, to boot! So much potential for all the things that happened in the story.
If you're looking for an anti-damsel in a story, you must read this. Genevieve Grimm is truly a strong and determined woman who knows what she wants. She does have fears that bleed into her life but she doesn't let them stop her from going after what she wants. I adored her and her character development. She smarts, sassy, curvy, stubborn, and confident. If she were real, I would pursue her as a best girlfriend. She loves fiercely and with her whole self. And she doesn't sugar coat who she is, which was my favorite part about her.
Rowinington "Rowin" Silver, on the other hand, is an enigma. He's definitely grumpy, closed off, and does not give off any information about himself. From the start, he doesn't like Genevieve, though you cannot truly tell why since he has never met her before she shows up on his doorstep. Try as he might, he cannot chase her away. But what he is is smart and sees an opportunity when it's placed in front of him. Genevieve could be the key to ending his family's curse and setting them all free. Trust me, you will grow to love his grumpy, to understand it, and then to love him just as he is.
What I truly loved about this book more than anything were the relationships between Rowin and his siblings. He has created a bit of a rift having been the winner of their odd family game for the last 15 years. At the same time, the dynamics that exist from whatever sibling foundation was create prior to the family game still exists. You can see it in how the siblings talk and interact with one another. Smith created some of the best side characters I've read about in a while. Often times these small characters lend very little to the story line of a book but here, we had an entire family who had truly nuanced relationships. I would love more of a back story on Rowin and his brother Remington, though. And several times the characters mentioned something about a previous marriage or perhaps engagement of one of the siblings but that story isn't given freely in the book. I would love some side stories about all these siblings.
I also enjoyed the deeper look into the devils. In the first book we met several. This book happens to have just one but we get an even deeper understanding of just how sinister they are and jsut what they will do in order to get what they want.
As with the first book, this one is fast paced as Smith takes us on a ride through Enchantra and the games the siblings play to try and earn their freedom from being bound in Hell for a year. This story, like the first, definitely gives off The Hunger Games vibes. I love the idea of everything taking place in the different rooms in the house. And I love Smith's writing. She has a knack to take the darkness and still make it light. This book has tense moments but also the humor we saw in the first, plus a good amount of delicious spice!
I have to admit, I've not read much dark romantic fantasy, though I would say I love dark academia and that gives off a very similar vibe. What I can say is that I am now all about this genre and where it will take me. I can see so many different stories stemming from this one and I really hope the introduction of a character we knew from the first book means she is going to get her own book next. I would also love to see more back story on Tessa Grimm, Barrington Silver, and Gabriel. We also get to see some of the characters we me in the first book. And the ending Smith gives us definitely leaves room for more books in this world.
This book has just as many addictive qualities as it's predecessor. While the theme is similar, it is not the same. It's fresh and new and shows us a different side to the paranormal world we encountered in the first book. I haven't rated many books 5 stars so far this year, but this one deserves it. I loved it even more than the first one, mostly because Vivi is my new book girlfriends but also because it was just twisty enough to keep me on the edge of my seat and panting for more. I cannot wait to see what Smith writes next.
I am totally enamored with this world and this author's writing. When I picked up Phantasma, I wasn't sure I'd like it. There was so much hype over it and often times I am disappointed with the books that get such publicity. But it was a great story that sucked me right in and made me fall in love with all the characters. I was truly excited to pick up this second installment and see where Smith would take it.
This book takes us across the ocean to Italy, far from the world of New Orleans we encountered in the first book. But the country where the book doesn't matter so much as the place. As with the first book, this book takes place on the grounds of an estate. This time one hidden away in the hills. We encounter Ophelia's sister, Genevieve, who is searching for others like her. She stumbles across a letter her mother received from an old friend, Barrington Silver, and decides to the write up on their offer to come for a stay. But her timing could not be worse as she enters and ends up being trapped for the duration of a deadly game the estate's residents are forced to play every year.
In all honesty, I was expecting a bit more from the setting of this book. After all, it takes place in Italy. I wanted to see the hills of Tuscany and how they might play into the story. But the country really didn't matter. The story could have taken place at an estate anywhere in the world and still been a fabulous read. I do understand the need for the author to move the location given that Phantasma moves around and we'd already experienced it in New Orleans. What I did love was the sprawling estate with rooms upon rooms and secret passages in all the nooks and crannies. Oh, and there's a hedge maze, to boot! So much potential for all the things that happened in the story.
If you're looking for an anti-damsel in a story, you must read this. Genevieve Grimm is truly a strong and determined woman who knows what she wants. She does have fears that bleed into her life but she doesn't let them stop her from going after what she wants. I adored her and her character development. She smarts, sassy, curvy, stubborn, and confident. If she were real, I would pursue her as a best girlfriend. She loves fiercely and with her whole self. And she doesn't sugar coat who she is, which was my favorite part about her.
Rowinington "Rowin" Silver, on the other hand, is an enigma. He's definitely grumpy, closed off, and does not give off any information about himself. From the start, he doesn't like Genevieve, though you cannot truly tell why since he has never met her before she shows up on his doorstep. Try as he might, he cannot chase her away. But what he is is smart and sees an opportunity when it's placed in front of him. Genevieve could be the key to ending his family's curse and setting them all free. Trust me, you will grow to love his grumpy, to understand it, and then to love him just as he is.
What I truly loved about this book more than anything were the relationships between Rowin and his siblings. He has created a bit of a rift having been the winner of their odd family game for the last 15 years. At the same time, the dynamics that exist from whatever sibling foundation was create prior to the family game still exists. You can see it in how the siblings talk and interact with one another. Smith created some of the best side characters I've read about in a while. Often times these small characters lend very little to the story line of a book but here, we had an entire family who had truly nuanced relationships. I would love more of a back story on Rowin and his brother Remington, though. And several times the characters mentioned something about a previous marriage or perhaps engagement of one of the siblings but that story isn't given freely in the book. I would love some side stories about all these siblings.
I also enjoyed the deeper look into the devils. In the first book we met several. This book happens to have just one but we get an even deeper understanding of just how sinister they are and jsut what they will do in order to get what they want.
As with the first book, this one is fast paced as Smith takes us on a ride through Enchantra and the games the siblings play to try and earn their freedom from being bound in Hell for a year. This story, like the first, definitely gives off The Hunger Games vibes. I love the idea of everything taking place in the different rooms in the house. And I love Smith's writing. She has a knack to take the darkness and still make it light. This book has tense moments but also the humor we saw in the first, plus a good amount of delicious spice!
I have to admit, I've not read much dark romantic fantasy, though I would say I love dark academia and that gives off a very similar vibe. What I can say is that I am now all about this genre and where it will take me. I can see so many different stories stemming from this one and I really hope the introduction of a character we knew from the first book means she is going to get her own book next. I would also love to see more back story on Tessa Grimm, Barrington Silver, and Gabriel. We also get to see some of the characters we me in the first book. And the ending Smith gives us definitely leaves room for more books in this world.
This book has just as many addictive qualities as it's predecessor. While the theme is similar, it is not the same. It's fresh and new and shows us a different side to the paranormal world we encountered in the first book. I haven't rated many books 5 stars so far this year, but this one deserves it. I loved it even more than the first one, mostly because Vivi is my new book girlfriends but also because it was just twisty enough to keep me on the edge of my seat and panting for more. I cannot wait to see what Smith writes next.
Ever After Always by Chloe Liese
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
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