Monthly Archives: February 2024

Romance Review: Always Only You

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Always Only You
By Chloe Liese
Bergman Brothers, Book 2 
🎧 Narrated by: Nelson Hobbs & CJ Bloom
Book 20 of 2024

Nope. this is it. Ren is the perfect book boyfriend. I should just stop reading now. I will never find better.

Thank you to everyone in the Romance ARC group chat that has gushed over the Bergman Brothers for years until I finally picked them up! This is the second book in the series, and you could read it without reading the first, but the characters that are introduced in book 1 show up, so it’s a little more fun if you already know them. I did think that Book 1 had some pacing issues, but was overall good and worth the read! 

Frankie is the social media manager for the hockey team that Ren plays for. Ren has been hopelessly infatuated with her since the day that she started, but would never in a million years try anything because they are coworkers. 

But…one night when the team is at a post-game bar hangout…a teammate crosses the line with Frankie and Ren gets all *protective* …and ends up driving her home…and omg oh no her apartment was broken into so THE ONLY CHOICE is for her to go home with him. Obviously. 

Forced proximity + Forbidden + Grumpy / Sunshine = perfection

Each of the main characters holds such a special place in my heart. Ren is our sunshine character and while he may appear hyper-masculine, being a professional hockey player, he also has such a soft side. He runs a Shakespeare club and loves so fiercely and I just love him so much.

Frankie is hyper independent, especially after her diagnosis with a chronic illness in her teens made her mom overprotective. As someone with a disabling (but not terminal) illness, her internal journey was so powerful and I related so strongly to her difficulty with allowing people to take care of her. 

QotD: (choose one or all)
– Who was the last character that you strongly related to?
– What series are you working your way through or waiting for a new release for? 

[book synopsis]

It’s an office romance on the ice rink in this heart melting story about love’s power not in spite of difference but because of it.

Ren has known Frankie Zeferino was a woman worth waiting for since the moment they met. She’s a master of deadpan delivery, has a secret heart of gold, and a rare one-dimpled smile that makes his knees go weak. But as long as Frankie’s the team’s social media manager, she’s off limits.

Frankie is a self-admittedly blunt, grumbly grump, but even she isn’t immune to sunshiney Ren Bergman. Who could be, when he’s a six-foot-three hunk of happy with a hockey player’s physique? Maybe in the past, Frankie would have gone for a guy like him, but since being burned too many times by people who learn about her diagnoses and see a problem, not a person, she’s wised up.

After waiting years for the right time to make his move, Ren learns Frankie plans to leave the team to pursue a new career. But what he didn’t anticipate is how hard he’ll have to work to convince her to let him have his shot at winning her heart.

Fantasy Review: Castle of Dusk and Shadows

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

Castle of Dusk and Shadows 
By Rachel L. Schade
🎧 Narrated by: Savvy Des-Etages
Fae of Brytwilde, Book 1
Book 19 of 2024

My toxic trait as a bookstagrammer is that I will sometimes save books on a special mental TBR I like to think of as my “oh no I feel a slump coming on I need something PERFECT right now” shelf.  When my friend @alexs_book_hoard told me about A Castle of Dusk and Shadows – a Pride and Prejudice fantasy retelling with Fae – it ended up on that mental shelf. 

But when I had my most recent Long Covid crash, I decided it was time to give it a try and Alex, you were SO right. I absolutely devoured this book. It delivered exactly what I was looking for.

I tend to like my Pride and Prejudice retellings to hit all of the beats of the original, and this gave the vibes without matching the plot, which I had a lot of fun with. I especially liked the play on Elizabeth having “fine eyes.” 

Read if you like:
✨ strong female characters
✨ villainous-seeming love interests (kinda reminded me of Rhys from ACOMAF)

Elle spends a good portion of the book looking for the ghost of her late father, and y’all…Mr. Bennett WISHES he was half the dad Mr. Blackford. 

If you are a P&P fan but wish that Mary, Lydia, Kitty, and Mrs. Bennett got better treatment, you’ll love this one. Everyone got to keep so much of their original character without being ridiculed for it. 

KU subscribers – add this one to your shelf!! (And everyone else.) 

QotD: (pick one)
-What’s a favorite retelling that you’ve read?
-Favorite villain? (to love or hate!) 

[book synopsis]

She’ll do anything to save her family—even marry a fae and face the dead.

Years ago, Elle Blackford’s parents made a desperate deal with the fae kingdom of Ashwood. While her mother and sisters reconciled themselves to a future among dangerous immortals, Elle and her father studied forbidden magic, hoping to find a loophole.

Until Elle’s father dies, forcing Elle’s sister to marry Prince Fitz, heir of Ashwood.

But Elle has a plan to change their fate. For she knows that ghosts wander Ashwood Forest until the royal family sends them into the afterlife. Ghosts that can be returned to life. And she’s determined to save her father from his premature death.

All she needs is powerful magic—magic Prince Fitz possesses.

Taking her sister’s place, Elle marries Prince Fitz to steal his power. But in a world of bloodthirsty fae and vengeful ghosts, being a mortal comes with constant risks. As Elle navigates a kingdom of monsters and tragic secrets, she realizes she might not survive to save her family.

And the key to her salvation might be her arrogant, cold husband—the one she’d planned to rob and abandon. If only she can trust him.

Pride and Prejudice meets Gothic fae fantasy in this loose retelling, full of plenty of romantic tension (not spice).

Pre-order today and prepare to immerse yourself in Brytwilde, a series of standalone fantasy romance novels all set in the same fae world and loosely inspired by Jane Austen’s novels.

Spoiler Free Fantasy Review: House of Flame and Shadow

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

*No spoilers – just vibes* 

House of Flame and Shadow
By Sarah J. Maas
🎧 Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans
Book 13 of 2024

I have an instagram post with my advice about starting with the world of SJM, and after finishing Crescent City 3: House of Flame and Shadow, I stand by it. I think you will get the *best* reading experience reading the first 3 ACOTAR, all of TOG, the next 2 ACOTAR, and then the Crescent City series. The worlds build on each other, so I think that’s the simplest way to read and be able to catch all of the Easter Eggs sprinkled throughout the worlds.

The Crescent City series is urban fantasy, which I hadn’t read a lot of before diving in, and at first I didn’t like it. Fae, Angels, Demons, Wolf Shifters…and cell phones? And as we often see with SJM heroines, Bryce doesn’t really begin the books as her best self. But it went from jarring – the modern language, the swearing, and again – the cell phones – to something I was absolutely in love with. Bryce is the kind of sassy heroine that I fell in love with reading about since I was a kid, and she reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who is one of my favorite fictional characters. 

I think Book 1 is entirely from Bryce’s POV, but by Book 2 we have multi-POVs. Book 3 switches around even in the middle of chapters, so I think reading it in print is really helpful. However, Maas does well starting each POV clearly, and Elizabeth Evans’ narration makes it pretty clear who we’re following. While I felt like Book 1 had SO MUCH worldbuilding, and Book 2 had SO MUCH hanging out and learning about characters, Book 3 was straight action. The characters didn’t always make decisions that I agreed with, but they were decisions that were true to who they are as people. Overall, it was a very satisfying experience! 

I think what makes reading SJM so fun is the fandom surrounding it. As someone who grew up reading Harry Potter, I crave having a series that I’m reading as it comes out that I can make fan theories about and talk about with other readers. I sometimes wonder if I’m really a true fantasy fan or if I just like to join the fandom of 1-3 ongoing series and ignore the rest of the fantasy books that are being published! 

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Fable buddy read! And thank you to all of the people who held my hand through my SJM journey!

Historical Romance Review: Rebel

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

Rebel
By Beverly Jenkins
🎧 Narrated by: Kim Staunton
Book 18 of 2024

**random ramblings**
I signed up for too many ARCs in January & February and I am so overwhelmed currently that I have found myself reading nothing but backlist books. This was my third book in a row that was published in 2021 or earlier. Please tell me I’m not the only one who occasionally goes full head in the sand about their book commitments. Hopefully next week I’ll start to get back to it! 

**review** 
This was my first book by Beverly Jenkins, but definitely won’t be my last! Captain LeVeq is now one of my top tier boyfriends. 

I like my romances, especially historical romances, to be fairly cozy. Bad things can happen and villains can exist as long as I don’t ever feel like the characters are ACTUALLY in danger or truly isolated. Jenkins brilliantly toed this line. The LeVeq family is the absolute best and I would like them to adopt me please. But the historical setting also felt accurate to the time – New Orleans after the Civil War – and showed the worst of humanity alongside the best. You may want to check the content warnings on this one. 

My favorite female main characters are strong, independent, and intelligent and Valinda was all of these things. She came to New Orleans to help teach the newly emancipated community, and seemed like the absolute best kind of teacher. 

🎧 I loved all of the voices Kim Staunton created for the story, but found some of the narration to be a little monotone. It might be that I had it turned up too fast and I wasn’t hearing all of the nuances though. 

[ book synopsis ]

The first novel in USA Today Bestselling Author Beverly Jenkins’ compelling new series follows a Northern woman south in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War…

Valinda Lacey’s mission in the steamy heart of New Orleans is to help the newly emancipated community survive and flourish. But soon she discovers that here, freedom can also mean danger. When thugs destroy the school she has set up and then target her, Valinda runs for her life—and straight into the arms of Captain Drake LeVeq.

As an architect from an old New Orleans family, Drake has a deeply personal interest in rebuilding the city. Raised by strong women, he recognizes Valinda’s determination. And he can’t stop admiring—or wanting—her. But when Valinda’s father demands she return home to marry a man she doesn’t love, her daring rebellion draws Drake into an irresistible intrigue.

Romance Review: The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes
By Xio Axelrod
🎧 Narrated by: Alexander Cendese, Tamika Simone
Book 17 of 2024

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes has been sitting on my shelf probably since it’s release date in 2021, and I’m so excited that I finally read it!! 

Check the content warnings…this one is a little heavier than my typical romance read. It doesn’t live in it’s darker themes though, so it was overall a very fun read. 

I would recommend this for readers who like the romance to be just one of the main elements in their reads. We get to spend a lot of time with the band, and Toni’s own growth, as well as the romantic plot. And I would definitely recommend it to music enthusiasts! 

💖 second chance romance
💖female rock band / women supporting women
💖 some found family vibes 

Going back to the content warnings, both main character Toni and her love interest Seb have difficult parents that have a range of abuse. I really admired how Axelrod didn’t shy away from the complex feelings of being an adult child of an abusive parent. 

🎧 Excellent on audio!

QotD: Do you consider yourself a music lover? Who are you currently listening to? 

I’m always in my Taylor Swift era, but with a heavy side of Noah Kahan this week!

[book synopsis]

They say the road to stardom is paved with broken dreams.

Growing up, Antonia “Toni” Bennett’s guitar was her only companion…until she met Sebastian Quick. Seb was a little older, a lot wiser, and he became Toni’s way out, promising they’d escape their small town together. Then Seb turned eighteen and split without looking back.

Now, Toni B is all grown up and making a name for herself in Philadelphia’s indie rock scene. When a friend suggests she try out for the hottest new band in the country, she decides to take a chance. She’s in for a surprise when one of the decision-makers turns out to be none other than Seb. Toni can handle it. No problem. Or it wouldn’t be if Seb didn’t still hold a piece of her heart, not to mention the key to her future.

New Books February 20th

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

Thank you to the listed publishers for the gifted books!

Happy belated pub day! I came back from our weekend getaway to the mountains with absolutely nothing prepped. I feel like pub day always sneaks up on me!! What are you looking forward to that comes out today or this week?

February is honestly so stacked with amazing new releases, there’s no way I will ever be able to read all of them – the worst of bookworm problems. 

🎁 ARC/ ALC / free publisher mail – noted even if I was sent a widget and didn’t accept it. Everything on this list is something I would like to one day read!

🎁 How (Not) to Hate a Duke, by Jennifer Haymore, Entangled Publishing
Historical Romance | Neighbors

🎁 Island Witch, by Amanda Jayatissa, Berkley Publishing
Historical fiction | Fantasy | Horror | Sri Lankan folklore 

🎁 Remedial Magic, by Melissa Marr, Bramble Romance
Romantasy | Witches | LGBTQ | Magical Community College 

🎁 Sun of Blood and Ruin, by Mariely Lares, Harper Voyager
Fantasy | Zorro Retelling | Mesoamerican mythology & Mexican History 

🎁 A Tempest of Tea, by Hafsah Faizal, Fierce Reads
YA fantasy | Historical fiction | Heist | Vampires 

🎁 Till There Was You, by Lindsay Hameroff, SMP Romance
Contemporary Romance | Jewish | New York Restaurants | Celebrity Romance

🎁 Heartless Hunter, by Kristen Ciccarelli, Wednesday Books
YA Fantasy Romance | Witch vs witch hunter 

🎁 The Diamond and the Duke, by Christi Caldwell, Berkley Romance
Historical romance | Beauty & the Beast vibes 

🎁 Night for Day, by Roselle Lim, Berkley Romance #berkleypartner #berkley
Fantasy Romance | Second chance romance 

📚 The Bad Ones, by Melissa Albert, Flatiron books
YA fantasy | Gothic horror 

QotD: Are any of these on your radar? What are you currently reading? 

Nonfiction by Black Authors

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Once upon a time, I thought I lived in a country that had solved a lot of problems and had created equality for everyone. Unfortunately, that’s still a goal that we’re working towards, and these are some of the books that helped me wrap around what we’ve learned and how far we have to go. 

[Education] Punished for Dreaming

I am not an expert by any means, but I do feel like I know a lot more than I did a decade ago thanks to these amazing authors. If you are also looking for more information about Black History in America and current policies that affect equality today. 

[Women’s History] Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts (graphic novel)

A note: I haven’t been reading many heavy or difficult books in the past year and a half while I’ve been dealing with Long Covid, so you may have seen these books before, since only two were new for 2023!

[Anti-racism] So You Want to Talk About Race & How to Be an Antiracist

[Instersectionality] Sister Outsider

[Current-ish Events) We Were Eight Years in Power

[My TBR] Hood Feminism, Stamped from the Beginning, Caste

QotD: (pick one or answer all!)
Am I missing a favorite of yours? 
Are you reading anything special in honor of Black History Month?
Which book cover that I shared is your favorite? 

Historical Romance Review: Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart

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Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart
By Sarah MacLean
🎧 Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik 
Love by Numbers, Book 3 
Book 16 of 2024

I absolutely love Sarah MacLean’s historical romances. I do think the original covers of these are a little cringey, maybe I’m more of a discreet cover person? But don’t let the cover fool you – this book is amazing.

You do not have to read these books in order, but I think when you do you get to know the characters more and are even more excited for their books. Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart follows Julianna, half sister to the men in the first two books. 

This is an utterly engrossing opposites attract romance. Julianna is looked down on by the ‘ton because of her mother’s scandalous past, and also because she is half Italian. If you like your female leads feisty, passionate, and independent, you’ll absolutely love this one!

[book synopsis]

There is no telling where a scandal might lead…

She lives for passion.

Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society’s rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London’s most practiced gossips… and precisely the kind of woman the Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.

He swears by reputation.

Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening—risking everything he holds dear—he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety.

She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

Fantasy Review: Ruthless Vows

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Thank you to Wednesday Books for my finished copy!

Ruthless Vows
By Rebecca Ross
🎧 Narrated by: Alex Wingfield, Rebecca Norfolk
Letters of Enchantment, Book 2
Book 15 of 2024

*Spoiler free review* 

When everyone started talking about Divine Rivals last year, I really wasn’t sure if it was the book for me. I don’t always love big wartorn fantasy worlds, even though those are so popular in fantasy. 

But Divine Rivals was so focused on the love story that I absolutely devoured it in 24 hours. I was so excited for Ruthless Vows and to see how their story ended!

Ruthless Vows focuses a lot more on the gods and the war, and with me also rereading Crescent City, it was just a lot of fantasy wars for me to wrap my head around. I think I would have liked it more if I’d saved it for after House of Flame and Shadow. 

I did really like it, and it felt like a satisfying conclusion to the duology. I do love that Rebecca Ross writes a lot of duologies and standalones – it’s so much less daunting than a giant series! 

QotD: Do you ever feel like your book ratings are affected by your mood?

 [ book synopsis ]

The epic conclusion to the intensely romantic and beautifully written story that started in Divine Rivals.

Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.

Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.

Romance Review: The Breakup Tour

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The Breakup Tour
By Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka
🎧 Narrated by: Dan Bittner & Brittany Pressley 
Book 14 of 2024

Thank you to Berkley Romance and PRHAudio for my review copies! 

I don’t normally post negative reviews online, so if you don’t want to read a negative review, I completely understand and send you on your way to scroll! I have been talking a lot about DNFing lately, and when I do that I often don’t write a review, I feel like it’s a little unfair since I didn’t finish the book and maybe it got better? But I am making an exception to my rule because I am personally offended that this book was the way that it was and I need to vent about it. I read it cover to cover because I wanted it to be better than it was and I just couldn’t let go of my hope that it would somehow, magically turn itself around. (It did not.)

This book was marketed as being based on Taylor Swift, and is dedicated to Swifties and Ms. Swift, so that was clearly the intention from the authors. HOWEVER, this book follows a pop star named Riley who is best known for writing breakup songs. And if you did not tell me it was Taylor Swift fanfiction, that would be fine. But if you’re making it sound like you’re BASING your book on Taylor, don’t use the infantilizing, sexist stereotype that was created by the worst parts of the media when Taylor was basically a teenager. It’s gross. It would not be gross if this was written like the Barbie movie. Or the song “The Man” where it confronted those stereotypes. But that is not what the authors did. No, they in fact had Riley’s character arc be that she doesn’t feel like she can do real relationships or is deserving of love because breakup songs is all she is good for in this world. 

And honestly, I probably could have forgiven this like I did the weird consent issues in some of my last reads of 2023. I can compartmentalize my beliefs for the sake of a good story. Feel free to judge me for that. BUT these two had no chemistry. Maybe when they sang together? But they were both so whiny the entire book and so not romantic at any moment that I truly did not care if they got together. I think the characters with the most personality were the bus driver and the ex boyfriend who called Riley “Nightmare Girl.”

Even more petty complaints:

Sometimes, they would refer to her performances as a “rock show” – pick a lane. It’s either pop or it’s rock or it’s pop-rock, I don’t feel like those labels are interchangeable. Maybe I’m being overly picky or I’m wrong, but it bothered me. 

This is not a rom com. It’s melancholy and written as though Chat GPT got ahold of the lyrics of Evermore and a contemporary romance and did it’s best to write a romance with Evermore descriptions. Maybe these descriptions work for some people, but I thought I was doing a cartoon cover romcom, so they felt pretentious. Or maybe the poetry they were attempting was just really badly done. You can be the judge of that. 

Now, I have heard that some non-Taylor Swift fans did enjoy this book, so I think a lot of the issues are around characterizing this as Taylor Swift fanfiction. But even if it wasn’t, the book’s writing style would not have been for me.