Tag Archives: book review

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Historical Romance Review: To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins

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To Catch a Raven
By Beverly Jenkins
🎧 Narrated by: Kim Staunton 
Women Who Dare, Book 3 
Book 36 of 2024

*series info*

Women Who Dare is a standalone series. If you are like me and have the compulsive need to read books in order even if it doesn’t matter, this time it REALLY doesn’t matter. However, the Le Veq family comes into play, especially in book 1, so you could start with that series. I’m doing the opposite and reading that series next because they seem AMAZING, and are also featured a little in this book. 

*book review* 

To Catch a Raven stars Raven Moreaux, who comes from a family of grifters, and Braxton Steel, who has never broken a rule much less a law in his life. But Brax’s father has a less law abiding past – he was once heavily involved with Raven’s family’s “business.” When the past comes knocking at their families’ doors, Raven and Brax have to go undercover – as husband and wife – to steal back the Declaration of Independence from a former Confederate official.

I historically have not been a huge fan of heist novel situations, I can’t keep all the plotting straight and then when they finally actually go get the thing I often feel like I can’t keep up with all of the moving parts. But unlike a traditional heist, we spend at least 50% of the book with Raven and Brax hanging out in the house looking for the Declaration of Independence while also falling in love, so I really enjoyed it! The whole subplot surrounding the woman they worked for and her husband was wild. 

For an opposites attract, forced proximity situation, I always like that tension that builds before they finally get together…but I didn’t feel like that tension really existed before they got together. But Brax seemed to fall hard and fast, and that’s always fun too. Who needs a slow burn anyway? 

I also love the second chance romance between Raven and Brax’s parents that was in the background. So cute! 

Overall, I recommend the whole series if you like strong, independent women and men who fall head over heels for them! 

🎧 Kim Staunton’s narration really grew on me by this book, and I feel like she perfectly crafted the voices for Raven, Brax, and the rest of the cast. I would definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by her! 

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Paranormal Romance Review: Heartsong

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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 Tor Books for the review copy!

Heartsong
By TJ Klune
🎧 Narrated by: Kirt Graves
Series: Green Creek, Book 3 
Book 35 of 2024

The thing about the Green Creek series is that by this point you just feel like you are another member of the pack. So the beginning really confused me when Robbie was off with not the pack?? I thought it was about before he came to Green Creek, but that wasn’t the case.

The way Klune crafts the community feel of his stories – ugh. I feel like I could happily read about them watching paint try because the banter would be top-tier and someone would probably forgive themselves for something and it would be all beautiful and healing. (I’m not fixing that run on sentence, it’s for the vibes.) 

My only complaint is that I like watching people fall in love with each other for the first time, and that’s not what we got in this book. It was still a beautiful and satisfying story, but because of Robbie’s situation *I* also sometimes felt like I was missing part of the story. 

Overall – LOVED – can’t wait for Brothersong!!

🎧 Kirt Graves is the voice of Green Creek for me. If someone ever tried to make a graphic audio, I couldn’t listen to it unless the narrators sounded exactly like the voices Kirt creates. I think he makes Klune’s writing really come alive for me – some of the repetition I could never have made feel as strongly as Graves made me feel in his narration. 

[book synopsis]

Heartsong is the third book in the Green Creek series, the beloved fantasy romance sensation by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and family.

“Complex and startling… Green Creek is the perfect setting.” ― Charlaine Harris

The Bennett family has a They’re not just a family, they’re a pack. Heartsong is Robbie Fontaine’s story.

All Robbie Fontaine ever wanted was a place to belong. After the death of his mother, he bounces around from pack to pack, forming temporary bonds to keep from turning feral. It’s enough―until he receives a summons from the wolf stronghold in Caswell, Maine. Life as the trusted second to Michelle Hughes―the Alpha of all―and the cherished friend of a gentle old witch teaches Robbie what it means to be pack, to have a home. But when a mission from Michelle sends Robbie into the field, he finds himself questioning where he belongs and everything he’s been told.

Whispers of traitorous wolves and wild magic abound―but who are the traitors and who the betrayed? More than anything, Robbie hungers for answers, because one of those alleged traitors is Kelly Bennett―the wolf who may be his mate.

The truth has a way of coming out. And when it does, everything will shatter.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.

Now available from Tor Books.

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Romance Review: Ever After Always

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Ever After Always
By Chloe Liese
🎧 Narrated by: Nelson Hobbs, CJ Bloom 
Series: Bergman Brothers, Book 3
Book 32 of 2024

**series info**

The Bergmans are a close knit family, so you will see a lot of the previous couples and allude to their story, so I think they are best read in order. Book 1 was a 4 star for me because it had a couple of slow spots, but book 2 is one of my favorite books that I’ve ever read, so they are worth your time!

**book review**

I thought this was a beautiful romance about a marriage in crisis. It utilized therapy well, and really showed how two people could love each other and still not understand how to show love to each other as time went on. 

Aiden’s anxiety representation I thought was well done, and Liese showed the way an anxious brain can catastrophize situations. I don’t remember depictions of panic attacks, if that’s something you’re sensitive too!

🎧 Duo Nelson Hobbs and CJ Bloom continue to do fantastic work narrating the Bergman brothers. The books are well suited to audio format, with very natural sounding dialogue and descriptions. 

[book synopsis]

The TikTok sensation, now with new exclusive content!

A marriage-in-crisis rekindles its passion in this second chance romance about going the distance to make love last.

Freya Bergman has spent a dozen years loving Aiden and never thought they’d find their marriage on the rocks. He’s her partner and best friend, the person she knows she can count on most. Until one day Freya realizes the man she married is nowhere to be found. Now Aiden is quiet and withdrawn, and as the months wear on, the growing distance between them becomes too much to bear.

Aiden would spend a dozen lifetimes making his wife happy. But the one thing that will make her happiest is the one thing he’s not sure he can give a baby. With the pressure of providing and planning for a family, his anxiety is at an all-time high. They’re drifting apart and he doesn’t know how to change the tide.  

As if weathering marriage counseling wasn’t enough, Freya and Aiden are thrown together for a Bergman family island getaway. Will this trip help them finally work through their trouble in paradise, or be the final wave that tows them under?

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Romance Review: Fangirl Down

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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 Avon and Libro Fm for my review copies! 

Fangirl Down
By Tessa Bailey
🎧 Narrated by: Callie Dalton 
Book 29 of 2024

Do you like when an authors’ books have some similarities, or do you prefer them to feel very different?

I think this was my 10th Tessa Bailey book, and I find that I either find her books absolutely hysterical, adore the characters, and cannot put the book down, or I find it completely cringey and have a hard time finishing it. I honestly think it has to do more with the mood that I’m in when I read it than it has to do with Tessa’s writing being wildly different depending on the book. I think I was especially harsh in my reaction to Fangirl Down since I had just read Always Only You which is not extremely similar but it is a sports romance where the FMC has a chronic illness. If you remember, I absolutely adored Always Only You and think it’s one of my new favorite books, so I probably should have given that book and this one a little more space.  

🎧 Either Wells’ dialogue does not translate well to audiobook narration, or the narrator made some choices that made his dialogue really cringey. Read this one with your eyes!

What I did like about this one was how devoted Wells was to Josephine and how protective he was of her in the beginning. I could have used a little more character development for him – he seemed to change from a depressed alcoholic to a model husband and father through the power of Josephine’s sunshiney personality. 

I liked that Tessa included some chronic illness representation with Josephine having Type 1 Diabetes. I think that the book showed how difficult T1 can be without making it seem like a plot device or a character flaw. 

[ book synopsis ]

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey launches a super sexy sports romance series with a rom-com about a bad boy professional athlete who falls for his biggest fan…

Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.

Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash…

As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right?

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Historical Romance Review: The Highlander Who Protected Me

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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 Highlander Who Protected Me
By Vanessa Kelly 
🎧 Narrated by: Ruth Urquhart
Clan Kendrick, Book 1 
Book 28 of 2024

✨ On Kindle Unlimited ✨

Last fall, I received an ARC of the final book in the Clan Kendrick series, and I loved it so much that I knew I wanted to go back and read the whole series from the beginning asap!

I have never met more stubborn people in fiction, and I absolutely loved them. All of Clan Kendrick is so much fun, and y’all know how I love to watch a giant family fall in love. Vanessa Kelly’s books give high drama and intrigue that I’ve been looking for ever since I watched the first season of Bridgerton!

My only complaint is that I didn’t do the research to realize that some of the main side characters in this one were featured in a book published before this one! I felt like I was coming in in the middle of a story, and while it was all explained well, I wanted to know ALL the juicy details the way you only can when you start at the beginning. So, I guess I’m going all the way back to read Vanessa Kelly’s books in publication order. 

🎧 The audiobook was great, Ruth Urquhart does a fantastic job bringing all of the characters to life. For Spotify subscribers, this is one of the books available with your subscription! 

Thank you @stephsbooktalk for getting me this for my birthday! 

[book synopsis]

Lady Ainsley Matthews, heiress and darling of the ton, was expected to make a magnificent match. Instead she’s hiding on a remote Scottish estate, terrified that her vicious former fiancĂ© will use her pregnancy to force her into marriage. One man can help her–Royal Kendrick, son of a distinguished Highland clan. Though a mistake drove them apart long ago, Royal is the only person Ainsley trusts to protect her baby–even if that means agreeing to never see either of them again . . . Scarred in body and soul by war, Royal suddenly has a purpose–caring for an innocent babe and thereby helping the woman he can’t stop loving. But when Ainsley ultimately returns to Scotland, determined to be a real mother to her child in spite of the risk, there’s only one solution: marriage. And only one likely outcome: surrendering to the desire that’s simmered between them for so long, no matter how dangerous it may be . . . Contains mature themes.

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Historical Romance Review: Wild Rain

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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.

Wild Rain
By Beverly Jenkins
🎧 Narrated by: Kim Staunton
Women Who Dare, Book 2 
Book 27 of 2024

*Series Info*

Women Who Dare is a series of standalone romances – but if you want to start at the beginning, here’s my review for Rebel, the first book in the series.

*Book Review*

Ok you all know I’m a sucker for a romance with a hyper independent woman who doesn’t have to give up any of her autonomy to be with her man, right? (Or partner of any gender, really.) 

Spring Lee is a bit of a loner when we meet her. She has a lot of walls up because of her past, but when she finds Garrett injured during a Wyoming snowstorm, she shows her inner softness by caring for him. Garrett is a little boring in comparison, but I can forgive a boring man if he’s devoted to his partner! 

Beverly Jenkins doesn’t shy away from dark backstories, and you may want to look up content warnings. 

[book synopsis]

The second novel in USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins’ compelling new Women Who Dare series follows a female rancher in Wyoming after the Civil War.

A reporter has come to Wyoming to do a story on doctors for his Black newspaper back east. He thinks Colton Lee will be an interesting subject…until he meets Colton’s sister, Spring. She runs her own ranch, wears denim pants instead of dresses, and is the most fascinating woman he’s ever met.

But Spring, who has overcome a raucous and scandalous past, isn’t looking for, nor does she want, love. As their attraction grows, will their differences come between them or unite them for an everlasting love?

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PNR Review: Deja Brew

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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.

Deja Brew
By B. Perkins and Aimee Vance
Deadlights Cove, Book 2 
Book 26 of 2024

✨ On Kindle Unlimited ✨

Do you ever wish you could read a book with a diverse cast that feels like you’re hanging out in Stars Hollow…but with more magic? If so, you absolutely need to pick up the Deadlights Cove books!

First, I would highly recommend reading these in order. There’s a mystery plot line that has a full arc across the five books, so while you CAN read them out of order, you’ll get the full experience if you read them in order! (And I equally loved Book 1 – Smoke Show – and I think you will too!) 

Childhood best friends to strangers to lovers is one of my all time favorite tropes. The tension between Nimue and Kit was 🔥🔥🔥.

I wish I could go hangout in Deadlights Cove with all of these characters, but since they are fictional I will have to do the next best thing and continue to read the series! 

[ book synopsis ]

Nimue Fitzpatrick never really meant to leave Deadlights Cove, but after she’d impulsively kissed her best friend, Kit Sayana, it suddenly became easier to take freelance photography jobs out of town. Just what she needed to forget the mess and the amber eyes she couldn’t bear to face anymore in the Cove. Now, after four years away, it might be time to admit that she’s been avoiding him.

The last four years haven’t been the easiest for Kit as the pressure to assume his responsibilities as future Alpha for the Arrowwood skulk takes over his life. Needing space, he moved out of his family home and into the apartment above his tea shop, Immortali-Tea. Despite the closeness among the members of his skulk, there is one thing he hasn’t shared with anyone, even his closest friends: ever since he kissed Nimue all those years ago, he’s known she’s his mate. The problem is that an interspecies mate bond is impossible, so it can never be.

When Nimue returns home for her cousin Blaze’s Halloween party, everything changes. No matter how the two childhood friends try to avoid their feelings for each other, fate has other plans. With magic turning on the shifters, the town is set into a panic that requires everyone to work together — especially Kit and Nimue.

Can they recover their prior friendship enough to come together and solve the next mystery, before it has lasting effects on the shifters in town?

Follow Kit and Nimue’s story, along with the quirky band of local misfits, through the Deadlights Cove series, in book two, Deja Brew.

While each book follows a different couple, the Deadlights Cove series is best read in order. Catch up and find out what Petra and Blaze discover in book one, Smoke Show, first.

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Fantasy Review: Blood & Steel

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Blood & Steel
By Helen Scheuerer
🎧 Narrated by: Mollie Stark and Sebastian Grove 
The Legends of Thezmarr, Book 1
Book 25 of 2024

Thank you to all of my friends who recommended this one, especially Dom & Marie-Lyne! 

✨ On Kindle Unlimited ✨

I absolutely could not put this book down. Plotting wise, it reminded me why I grew up loving fantasy books. Scheuerer manages to build a unique world without dumping a bunch of info on you. The world and conflicts all are introduced while the plot is moving and characters are getting to know each other. 

You all know I love a bada$$ FMC, and Althea is absolutely a warrior among FMCs. 

And of course, the romance is 🔥🔥🔥. I can’t wait to continue with this series! 

🎧 Fantastic narration. I usually need to read a couple of chapters with a print version to get myself really immersed in a new fantasy world, but I felt that this was clear enough that I could just listen to the audiobook without any trouble! 

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Romance Review: Kiss the Girl

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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 publisher for my review copy! 

Kiss the Girl
By Zoraida Cordova 
Meant to Be, Book 3 
Book 23 of 2024

✨ Series Info ✨

The Meant to Be series are all standalones and can be read in any order. They are closed door retellings of beloved Disney movies – this one is The Little Mermaid, and was my favorite so far!

✨ Review ✨

I was so excited for this book, but last year if it wasn’t on audio, I didn’t read it, and this book doesn’t seem to have an audiobook made, which is so heartbreaking!

However, I’ve been working on getting back into reading with my eyes, and I really loved this one, and thought it was such a clever interpretation of the story!

Ariel del Mar has been a pop culture icon since she was a child – her family business has been making her and her sisters pop icons. She meets Eric after sneaking out to a rock concert in Brooklyn. Then, after getting into a fight with her father, she joins his band’s tour to sell their merch at shows. It was fun to watch her join the “real world” after living a life of luxury. 

I absolutely adored all of the characters. The band gave major found family vibes, and everyone was so quirky in their own way. But of course the real magic was in the building romance between Ariel and Eric! The tension was exquisite. 

✨ Ramblings Semi-Related to the Book ✨

I’ve been on a musician romance kick lately. I think after being so disappointed by The Breakup Tour, this is exactly what I needed and the vibe I wished The Breakup Tour had been!

The connections made with the Disney version of The Little Mermaid were all so cute. I’ve read a few books lately that envision people who work in more pop culture settings – whether it’s musicians, fashion designers, or influencers – as kind of vapid hot messes. And while anyone can be a vapid hot mess, I just find it to be a very boring stereotype. So I really appreciated that Cordova leaned into how hard Ariel had worked and how knowledgeable she was about the music industry, even if she was lost when it came to doing things like laundry. It made her lovable and relatable. 

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Novella Review: Six Scorched Roses

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✨ Spoiler Free Review ✨

Have you been seeing The Serpent and the Wings of Night series on Bookstagram and been wondering if you want to get into the series? Here’s why you won’t want to skip the novella Six Scorched Roses!

Six Scorched Roses
By Carissa Broadbent
🎧 Narrated by: Amanda Leigh Cobb
Crowns of Nyaxia 1.5
Book 22 of 2024

✨ Reading order ✨

I think this book can technically be considered a standalone, but it was recommended to me to read it in between Book 1 & 2, because the characters introduced in this book do show up in Book 2. I think the world building would be a little confusing if I hadn’t read book 1. 

✨ Review ✨

I am not generally a novella person – I tend to skip them honestly. However, this was a very purposeful and satisfying novella to me! After all of the fighting and action in Book 1, it was nice to spend time with Lilith and her medical experiments. 

Lilith’s town is being ravaged by an illness brought about by a god curse. Her sister is fading before her eyes, but Lilith is committed to finding a cure. 

Six Scorched Roses has a really good mix of plot and romance, and tells a complete story in just 187 pages! It’s a great palette cleanser before you dive into what I’m sure will be an action packed The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King! 

🎧 You might recognize Amanda Leigh Cobb from her work narrating A Court of Wings and Ruin and A Court of Frost and Starlight! She narrates all of the Crowns of Nyaxia books and I love her work. 

✨ KU subscribers can read Six Scorched Roses for free! ✨

[book synopsis ] 

Six roses. Six vials of blood. Six visits to a vampire who could be her salvation… or her damnation.

Lilith has been dying since the day she was born. But while she long ago came to terms with her own imminent death, the deaths of everyone she loves is an entirely different matter. As her town slowly withers in the clutches of a mysterious god-cursed illness, she takes matters into her own hands.

Desperate to find a cure, Lilith strikes a bargain with the only thing the gods hate even more than her village: a vampire, Vale. She offers him six roses in exchange for six vials of vampire blood–the one hope for her town’s salvation.

But when what begins as a simple transaction gradually becomes something more, Lilith is faced with a terrifying realization: It’s dangerous to wander into the clutches of a vampire… and in a place already suffering a god’s wrath, more dangerous still to fall in love with one.

Six Scorched Roses is a standalone fantasy romance novella set in the world of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, perfect for those who love dark, romantic tales with bite and fans of Sarah J. Maas or Jennifer L. Armentrout.