theyarnling's reviews
128 reviews

Blood Bonds by J. Bree

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5.0

Book Name: Blood Bonds (The Bonds that Tie Book 3)
Author: J Bree
Stars: 5
Spice : 4.5
  • Book 3 in the Ties that Bind Series
  • Cliffhanger
  • Multi POV
  • extremely FAST paced
  • Modern PNR
  • “Tamer” Reverse Haram
  • Tad Repetitive
  • Addictive AF
  • Fantastic Character Building
  • Spice is here!!!!
  • North Draven (swoon)
  • Gryphon Shore! Need I say more (wink)
  • Character are SO real (even though a few moments are kinda annoying)
  • Twist ending….
Broken Bonds by J. Bree

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5.0

 
Book Name: Broken Bonds (The Bonds that Tie Book 1) 
Author: J Bree 
Stars: 5 
Spice : 2 (SA?) 
  • Book 1 in Completed Series:
  • Cliffhanger ending
  • Single POV FMC
  • FAST paced
  • Modern Low Fantasy Romance
  • Reverse Haram
  • Similar vibe to Vampire Academy Books by Richelle Mead
  • Tropes
  • Enemies to Friends
  • One Bed
  • Miscommunication
  • Slight Chosen one
  • Thoughts.
  • Addicting
  • Love the focus on world building
  • Reverse Haram doesn’t feel forced or ICKY
  • Strong character development

The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow

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5.0

 
Book Name: The Six Deaths of the Saint (Into Shadow collection) 
Author: Alix E Harrow 
Stars: 5 
Spice : 0 
  • Standalone short story in the new KU anthology series Into the Shadow
  • High Fantasy
  • Literary.
  • Haunting and Atmospheric
  • Fast Paced
  • Single POV
  • Magical
  • Perfectly Constructed.
  • Perfect use of Verbal Tenses
  • Deeply Emotional
  • Bring Kleenex Tissues

Royal Blood by Aimée Carter

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5.0

 
Book Name: Royal Blood 
Author: Aimee Carter 
ARC 
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for an ARC of Royal Blood by Aimee Carter 
Stars: 5 
Spice : 0 
  • First Book in a series
  • YA
  • Alternate Reality of the British Monarchy
  • Fast Paced
  • Major Meg Cabot vibes
  • Coming of age
  • Family
  • Amazing cover art
  • Fast Talking FMC
  • Rebellious
  • Very teen angst
  • SA check trigger warnings.
  • Feels like the old school 90s teen movies.
  • Miscommunication trope IE Running away before a conversation ends

The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

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5.0

Overall 5
Spice 3.75
Points over Paragraphs
  • OMG the sexual tension is explosive.
  • Gothic Vibes complete with catacombs
  • Hannah Whiten can literally do no wrong
  • Strong borderline selfish FMC
  • Love Triangle
  • Good Guy Priest/bodyguard vs Bad Boy Prince?
  • Court of Versailles-ish vibes with the intrigue and politics
  • Strong Magic System
  • Light vs Dark but without the ideology of good vs evil “necessarily”
  • Secrets with a touch of miscommunication
  • Best Book of 2023
  • Adult Fantasy
  • Book 1 in a new series.
  • Cliffhanger
Thank you to Orbit Books, Orbit and Netgalley for a ARC of the FoxGlove King by Hannah Whitten
I Love Hannah Whitten. She writes in a way that is accessible and engaging for the reader. using this unique modern writing style allowing us readers to seamlessly slip into the narrative. The Wilder Wood was one of my favorite duologies. so when I got the ARC for The Foxglove King the first book in her new series The Nightshade Kingdom I couldn’t contain myself and I immediately read it. It did not disappoint. Hannah has grown as a storyteller taking the tropes I grew up with as a teenager in the early 00’s and building them into something truly enjoyable for an adult audience. It’s perfection itself. That ending though has me wishing I could turn forward to the clock for the next book!
House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur

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4.0

Stars 4
Spice 0
Narration 5
Points > Paragraphs
  • Ghosts
  • inter-generational
  • Magical realism
  • Contemporary YA
  • afghan-uzbek representation
  • family secrets
  • Trauma
  • spooky and sentimental
  • coming of age
  • YA
  • Fantastic narrator
  • Divorce
  • Dementia
Thank you to RB Media, and NetGalley for the audio ARC of House of Yesterday
by Deeba Zargarpur
Phaedra by Laura Shepperson

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3.0

Book Name: Phaedra
Author: Laura Shepperson
ARC
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for an ARC of Phaedra
Stars: 3
Spice : 0
  • Standalone
  • Multi POV
  • Mythological Retelling
  • Feminist
  • Similar to Genevieve Gornichec and Madeline Miller
  • Fast Paced
  • Exploring the “Heroines” of Greek Myths
  • Loved the entirety of Phaedra’s myths are told together as one compelling story
  • Enjoyed the Cameo of Medea
  • addition of a night chorus was a great homage to Greek Tragedy
  • Love the juxtaposition in the final chapter of the lives of two women (Full circle moment)
  • Not an easy read
  • very dark and tragic subject matter
  • violent
  • major Pacing issues
The Baker's Man by Jennifer Moorman

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4.0

Book Name: The Baker’s Man
Author: Jennifer Moorman
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an ARC of Baker’s Man by Jennifer Moorman
Stars: 4
Spice : 0
  • Standalone within an anthology series
  • Single POV
  • Low Fantasy
  • Romance
  • Southern Magical Realism
  • Similar to Sarah Addison Allen & Karen White
  • One Bed
  • Love Triangle
  • Mildly Hallmark
  • Fast Paced
  • Cutesy
  • Predictable
  • Enjoyable
  • Palate Cleanser > Main Course
I love a good romantic southern magical realism tale. This is probably one of my top five favorite genres. although Baker’s Man is very cutesy and hallmark-y it is still extremely enjoyable and I look forward to reading this author’s back catalog. I recommend this book as a palate cleanser between more heady and intense pieces due to its amusing yet predictable storyline
Saint by Adrienne Young

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5.0

Book Name: Saint
Author: Adrienne Young
ARC
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for and Audio ARC of Saint by Adrienne Young
Stars: 5
Spice : 0 (YA)
AudioBook:
  • Narrator: Ell Potter; Will Damron
  • Multi Narrator: yes
Ell Potter
  • has a thick accent
  • hard to understand on higher speeds
  • very theatrical
  • Adds Life to Isolde
Will Damron
  • Read the phone book to me!!!
  • Accent is superb
  • easily understandable even on high speeds
Book:
  • Standalone within the Fable Universe
  • Dual POV
  • High Fantasy
  • Young Adult
  • Adventure
  • Romance
  • Fast Paced
  • Adrienne Young is an instant add-to-cart author
  • Magic of the Fable books
  • Makes Saint so human
  • a fantastic addition to the Fable Book series.
A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass

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5.0

 
A Thousand Heartbeats 

by Kiera Cass 

 

Overall 5 

Spice 0 

 

·        Queen of YA 

·        500 pages… it’s a tad long 

·        Fast Paced 

·        Strongly YA (don’t look for NA here) 

·       Dual POV (swoon) 

·      
Love at First Sight 

·       
Enemies to Lovers 

·        Forced Proximity 

·        Strong FMC and MMC 

·        Kidnapping 

·        Overcoming all Obstacles 

·        A Few Plot Points Felt a Bit Immature