Category: Review (Page 96 of 295)

BOOK REVIEW: Let It Snow by Cassie Cross

December 23, 2020 / Jen / 2 Comments

Let It Snow by Cassie Cross
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Amy Winstead is a twenty something video producer who loves Christmas more than anyone she’s ever known. This year, the holidays are gonna be a lot less happy because she can’t afford the plane ticket home to celebrate with her family, and her best and oldest friend Josh is moving halfway across the country for a new job that he couldn’t turn down.

When Josh asks her to accompany him on his road trip from Texas to Connecticut and offers to pay for her plane ticket back home, how could Amy say no? He’s promised some fun surprises on the trip, and more time with him could never be a bad thing.

One surprise Josh hasn’t planned on is the record-breaking blizzard heading their way. They decide to wait out the storm in the charming town of Holly Hill, where a little holiday magic and a lot of snow combine to help Josh and Amy realize that the something that’s always simmered between them could easily become something more...

Review:

Let it Snow was a feel good, heartwarming Christmas story. With a road trip, snow storm and a cute little town, this book was so enjoyable. If you’re looking for a friend to lovers Christmas story, with a little bit of sexy mixed in, then take a look at adding this one to your tbr.

If I didn’t know any better, I could swear that Josh wants to kiss me. But I need to get foolish thoughts like that out of my head, so I turn back to my laptop.

Amy Winstead, aka Ames, and Josh Abbott had been inseparable for the last 26 years. They were the bestest of friends who grew up together, went to same college and even got their first jobs in the same town. But with Josh moving back home to New York and Ames staying in Texas, she was emotionally struggling. They’d never been apart. On top of that, she was head over heels in love with her best friend.

“You’re woven into the fabric of my life.”

While Ames was unsure of where she wanted to go with her life, Josh seemed to know exactly what he wanted. When he surprised her with a road trip back home for the holidays, and a plane ticket to get her back to Texas, I was overjoyed. I love road trips! We got to see how strong their friendship was and how well they knew each other. I loved watching how affectionate and thoughtful they were to each other. And when they got stranded in a blizzard, things started to storm in the best of ways between the two of them.

“What do you need?” I ask, confused by the giant shift in the room, of this overwhelming sense of possibility in the moment.
He lifts his head, eyes half lidded.
“To kiss you,” he replies.

Let it Snow was a delightful book that was so easy to devour. And for those that love happily ever afters, that last chapter is for you. The story jumped ahead four years and I loved seeing how the future panned out. So with snow women building, snow ball fights and getting stranded in a hotel room with one bed, it was fun watching Ames and Josh’s relationship develop. If you’re a fan of friends to lovers, with Christmas sprinkled in the pages, then this book may be just for you!

BOOK REVIEW: You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

December 16, 2020 / Arielle / 2 Comments

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut.

Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They're preparing for their lavish wedding that's three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.

Naomi wants out, but there's a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.

But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they're finally being themselves--and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.

Review

He’s pulling out mixing bowls, and that man is even more deluded than I am if he thinks I’m filling a sink up with mixing bowls I’ll have to wash in order to feed someone he despises, while he takes the credit. Stacy can choke on store-bought sugar cookies like the rest of us. Why’s he even bringing them? They’re dentists. They should be eating celery.

Reading this book was like breathing in a lungful of crisp, clean air. It was healing. I felt hurt for Naomi and Nicholas and then I felt pure elation as they came back to one another. Reading this book was like taking a good long look at my own life and realizing just how easy it is to fall into a romantic rut without even knowing how long you’ve been there.

“Just as beautiful as the moment we first saw each other from across the room. On visitor’s day, at the prison.”
I swallow. “I’ll be headed back to prison soon, I’m sure.”
“I hear they offer classes. You could finally learn what the word regardless means.”

If any of you are married and have really young kids like I do (2.5 years and 8 months) you know that said kids consume your life. There is no alone time, no sleep, no dates (COVID that’s also on you), no careless days lying in bed until mid-afternoon. For better or worse (but really mostly only better lollll) having kids is the fastest and easiest way to change the dynamic of a relationship. I just kind of felt like I was in a funk and reading this book really kind of lifted me out of that.

This is it, then. He’s going to drive us both off a bridge. Voldemort and Harry Potter’s quandary pops into my head: Neither can live while the other survives.

Nicholas and Naomi are an engaged couple that, when we first start this book, seem to hate each other. I couldn’t BELIEVE they were even still engaged if I’m being honest and for a number of different reasons I’m glad they had been engaged instead of married. For some reason that made it even more important that they were still hanging on, even though they weren’t legally bound to one another and had no kids to worry about. It just made things more important for me I guess. Anyway, they’re in a really bad spot where they can’t really even stand to be around one another, or each other’s friends, and ESPECIALLY family. Nicholas’s mother is the epitome of the overbearing monster-in-law, who is deeply in love with her son and does not accept that she is no longer the center of his life. Wow, just …..wow. The way she was trying to make wedding plans and the things she would say to Naomi just…stunned me. I can’t even. Eventually, something shifts and Naomi kind of shakes herself awake. The two start really going at it (argument wise, settle down lol) and the shift starts to happen.

The man I love is waiting for me at the pond’s edge, and I feel his pulse as if it’s my own. My senses kaleidoscope, collecting pictures and scents and sounds to preserve until my dying day. I’ve been holding my breath since the second I met him; how strange now, to exhale at last. Breathing will never feel the same again.

Nicholas realizes he is not living the life he wants to and trades his Maserati for a used Jeep, his normal outfits for something that could be seen on a lumberjack, and their cookie cutter rental for a magical little cottage in the woods. Slowly but surely they begin to start actually talking to one another and remember what it is to actually be friends, and then more. I think the biggest thing for me was when they started doing the smallest things for each other to make the other one happy. Writing little notes to each other, playing video games together, Nicholas driving through the night to come home when Naomi admitted to missing him while he was away. It’s so easy to forget how important those little things are to a relationship when your attention has been diverted to “bigger things” (i.e. kids on my part). So yeah, this book just kind of reminded me that even though these things can be forgotten, they can just as easily be remembered (especially once you are able to get a good nights sleep someday and can ditch the kids for a few hours lolol).

And on a less serious note, can we just talk about how fucking FUNNY this book was. Lately, I’ve found that the best books are the ones that make me straight up cackle out loud. And I swear to God their banter and Naomi’s inner dialogue had me dying on basically every page. I was obsessed. I know so many people have said this already but it straight up did remind me of Sally Thorne’s writing. I can’t wait for her next book and will be scanning NetGalley for it like a hawk. Also, in reference to that quote below, HOW AMAZING IS THE STORY OF HOW THEY ACTUALLY MET OMG I WAS SHAKING AT THE CHANCE OF IT ALL ARGHHHH. ♥

How did Nicholas and I meet? We met in a house called Ever After, the second time we were strangers. And I am one hundred percent in love with the transformation of us.

GRINCHY REVIEWS: The Clause in Christmas & Kissmas Eve

December 15, 2020 / Jen / 8 Comments

GRINCHY REVIEWS: The Clause in Christmas & Kissmas Eve The Clause in Christmas (Poppy Creek #1)
by Rachael Bloome
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads
DNF

Synopsis:

An unexpected inheritance. A pesky clause in the will. And 25 days to avoid falling in love.

Cassie Hayward hates Christmas. Especially this year.

No job. Flat broke. And an ex most definitely on the naughty list.

The unexpected inheritance of a charming Victorian cottage in the small town of Poppy Creek may be the Christmas miracle Cassie needs.

Except for one itty-bitty problem: a clause in the will.

To inherit the house, Cassie must complete a series of festive tasks every day in December leading up to Christmas. All overseen by the handsome, Christmas-loving lawyer Luke Davis.

Luke is as strong and steady as the bespoke furniture he crafts as a hobby. He has to be. Stepping into his late father's shoes as the town lawyer comes with a sleigh full of responsibilities. Which mean the captivating stranger collecting her inheritance is a distraction he can't afford.

As the unlikely pair complete the daily tasks, fighting their attraction becomes more futile than putting jolly ole St. Nick on a diet. But when someone from Cassie's past reappears with the offer of a lifetime, Cassie will have to choose between love and the life she always wanted.

Review:

The Clause of Christmas felt like an adorable Hallmark movie. There was a woman who didn’t believe in Christmas, a man who was a pillar in his community and a quaint small town filled with lots of charm and quirky people. Add in a Christmas calendar that had a different festive task from December 1st to December 25th and this book seemed to have it all!

But ultimately I DNF this book at 46% because I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. Cassie was anti-Christmas because of her childhood and never seemed to give it a chance as an adult, until now. I was happy to see the joy she found in something so simple as decorating a tree to sledding. But with only a small glimpse into her past, I never felt as though I knew Cassie. She was someone who was emotionally out of reach for me and I couldn’t ever connect with what she felt. And since I didn’t share her love of coffee, I unfortunately couldn’t even make that connection with her.

With Luke, I liked him right away and he made me laugh. But the more time I spent with him, and heard his thoughts, I lost that connection. And when I got to the scene where he was talking with his guy friends, I closed the book. It was a little too tender for my liking, and I’ve never said that before. But regardless of my lack of connection, I believe that a lot of people will adore The Clause in Christmas. All the elements are there for a wonderful Christmas tale. If you end up picking this one up, here’s hoping you enjoy it more than me!

GRINCHY REVIEWS: The Clause in Christmas & Kissmas Eve Kissmas Eve by M.E. Carter, Sara Ney
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Christmas… Bah Humbug…

Sports agent Adam Roberts hates Christmas, hates cheer, and just about anything tied with a bow. What he does love is sports, the thrill of a competition and the mysterious identity of the woman he’s been flirting with on the company messenger.

He doesn’t know her name, but he’s determined to find out. Even if it means attending the Christmas party he’s dreading.

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Meg McClane loves everything about Christmas, from her festive Ugly Sweaters, down to her candy-cane striped toenails. But not everyone appreciates her holiday cheer; not her co-workers, not her bosses, and certainly not Adam Roberts, the senior agent she’s had a crush on for as long as she can remember.

But now a new man has caught her eye, or maybe just her interest with his kind and witty conversations on the company messenger. It’s just her luck that when they finally decide to meet up, she gets stranded with a stranger in the elevators on their way to the company Christmas party…

Review:

Kinsman Eve had the cutest premise ever! But unfortunately this was another book where I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. And some of them felt over the top, like Sheila. She worked right next to Meg…..and I just wanted to shove a candy cane in her mouth so she’d stop talking. #BadJen

I did enjoy that we got to hear both of the main characters thoughts. Meg was adorable and loved everything Christmas. And I didn’t care what her co-workers said about her outfits. I thought they were perfectly festive! Meg had been crushing on Adam, a guy that worked in the same office. If only she knew that Adam was interested in her too.

Both Adam and Meg were characters I’d normally adore, so I’m not sure what went wrong. Especially since it was oh so sweet how they ended up getting together. But it took over halfway for me to be somewhat invested in the story. And I finally cracked a smile when I was close to the end. There were a few grammatical errors, but ultimately this book just didn’t elicit much emotion from me. Since the characters and story line were something I’d typically fall for, I will be picking up another book by each of these authors. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that I like them a lot more.

BOOK REVIEW: Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

December 14, 2020 / Arielle / 2 Comments

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine comes the clever, funny, and unforgettable story of a muscular, tattooed man hired as an assistant to two old women—under the watchful eye of a beautiful retirement home manager.

Distraction (n): an extreme agitation of the mind or emotions.

Ruthie Midona has worked the front desk at the Providence Luxury Retirement Villa for six years, dedicating her entire adult life to caring for the Villa’s residents, maintaining the property (with an assist from DIY YouTube tutorials), and guarding the endangered tortoises that live in the Villa’s gardens. Somewhere along the way, she’s forgotten that she’s young and beautiful, and that there’s a world outside of work—until she meets the son of the property developer who just acquired the retirement center.

Teddy Prescott has spent the last few years partying, sleeping in late, tattooing himself when bored, and generally not taking life too seriously—something his father, who dreams of grooming Teddy into his successor, can’t understand. When Teddy needs a place to crash, his father seizes the chance to get him to grow up. He’ll let Teddy stay in one of the on-site cottages at the retirement home, but only if he works to earn his keep. Teddy agrees—he can change a few lightbulbs and clip some hedges, no sweat. But Ruthie has plans for Teddy too.

Her two wealthiest and most eccentric residents have just placed an ad (yet another!) seeking a new personal assistant to torment. The women are ninety-year-old, four-foot-tall menaces, and not one of their assistants has lasted a full week. Offering up Teddy seems like a surefire way to get rid of the tall, handsome, unnerving man who won’t stop getting under her skin.

Ruthie doesn’t count on the fact that in Teddy Prescott, the Biddies may have finally met their match. He’ll pick up Chanel gowns from the dry cleaner and cut Big Macs into bite-sized bits. He’ll do repairs around the property, make the residents laugh, and charm the entire villa. He might even remind Ruthie what it’s like to be young and fun again. But when she finds out Teddy’s father’s only fixing up the retirement home to sell it, putting everything she cares about in jeopardy, she’s left wondering if Teddy’s magic was all just a façade.

Review

This was exceptional. I don’t even know how else to describe Sally Thorne’s writing other than to say that it just makes me feel good. Even though all three of her leading ladies are incredibly different, they were parts of them that were still somehow all relatable and warm and comforting. Sally’s books are something that you can pull out on a day full of sunshine at the beach to enjoy or on a gray day filled with sadness. No matter what you’re feeling when you begin them, I can guarantee you will feel better when you’re done.

That being said, I know a lot of people didn’t like 99% Mine as much as me. This book, and Ruthie in particular is nothing like that. I REALLY think that those that didn’t like Darcy’s abrasiveness will fall in love with Ruthie’s quiet but quick witted personality. And Teddy. Ohhhhh Teddy. Teddy is the embodiment of his name. A big, giant, teddy bear that you can’t help but want to love and squeeze tight and never let go. He grew up in a wealthy family but has always been treated as the lazy one, the one who will never take grown up life seriously, and I think that has really had a big impact on actually turning him into that person. However, once he’s forced to spend some time at the Providence Luxury Retirement Villa as personal assistant to the sassiest, funniest, loveliest old ladies you’ve ever seen and gets to know Ruthie, things change.

Ruthie, who is a quiet, keeps-her-head-down and never-leave-the-Villa type of gal really hasn’t experienced much of what life has to offer. Between Melanie, her new assistant turned friend, and Teddy, that changes. She comes out of her shell (har har nod to the tortoises) and begins to quickly discover how having these two meddling in her every day life is starting to make her want things she hasn’t in a long time.

This book has it’s fair share of interesting plot points outside of the addicting romance, too. Finding out something from Ruthie’s past that has shaped certain aspects of her life now, finding more out about Teddy’s past and his tumultuous relationship with his sister, Rose, and even why Ruthie’s boss won’t e-mail her back. Sally Throne has hit it out of the park once again and I’m not even surprised about it.

Huge thanks to Edelweiss and William Morrow for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.♥

BOOK REVIEW: A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) by Saaba Tahir

December 11, 2020 / Arielle / 0 Comments

A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4)
by Saaba Tahir
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Prepare for the jaw-dropping finale of Sabaa Tahir's beloved New York Times bestselling An Ember in the Ashes fantasy series, and discover: Who will survive the storm?

Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off...

The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.

Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory--or to an unimaginable doom.

And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life--and love--he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save--or destroy--all that he knows.

Review

“Who are you?”
“I am—I—” Who am I? “I am born of Keris Veturia,” I say. “Son to the Kehanni who told the Tale. Beloved to Laia of Serra. Friend to the Blood Shrike. I am brother to Avitas Harper and Shan An-Saif. Grandson to Quin Veturius. I am—”
Two words echo in my head, the last words Cain spoke to me before dying. Words that stir my blood, words that my grandfather taught me when I was a boy of six and he gave me my name. Words that were burned into me at Blackcliff.
“Always victorious.”

I have put off reviewing this for six days now. Not because I don’t know what to say, it’s that I don’t quite know how to articulate it. Every so often a book or a series comes along that changes me. I finished the final chapter of this almost a week ago now and I haven’t stopped been able to stop thinking about it since. I feel almost frantic with the need to fully express what emotions have been roiling around inside of me ever since I have finished and all I can do now it just try my best and hope that even a fraction of what I’m feeling and thinking can shine through in this review.

“How much pain exists in the world because we cannot get past what has been done to us, because we insist on inflicting pain right back?”

I read Ember as soon as it came out five years ago, really liked it and thought it was a fresh, new, raw brand of YA, and then for some reason didn’t get to the rest of the series until this year. I read/ listened (BTW the narrators are AMAZING, highly recommend) to the rest in preparation for this one in September and just devoured them. I fell in love with the cinnamon roll that is Elias, was frustrated but ultimately was impressed by Laia’s stubbornness and bravery, and wanted to tuck Helene into the recesses of my heart so that she wouldn’t be hurt by anyone or anything else. These characters and their struggles became so real to me that I still can’t think about the book without feeling a hollowness in my chest. It’s crazy. I can’t even remember the last time a book made me feel this way.

“Would that we all knew the cracked terrain of each other’s broken hearts. Perhaps then, we would not be so cruel to those who walk this lonely world with us.”

Going into this book, I was prepared to have my heart broken, I really did. What I maybe didn’t expect was the exact level of storytelling that our best Kehanni, Tahir, would provide. Many fantasy series feature a war of some kind but never have I read about one that felt so real. I truly think that Tahir did a great job of pouring real-world hurt over prejudices, racism, bigotry, etc. into this fantasy world to represent the very real and terrible things that people in our own world have been going through for centuries. These things are not fantasy. People really die in war. People’s homelands are taken away from them and destroyed. Life is not always easy or morality set in black and white for everyone.

“Emifal Firdaant,” I say to him.
“You’ve said that before.” He runs his fingers through my hair. “What does it mean?”
I cannot quite look at him when I say it. “May death claim me first.”
“Ah, no, my love.” He gathers me close. “You cannot go first. I could not make sense of the world if you did.”

And yet, even though these stories need to be remembered and the hurt never be forgotten, hope still needs a place to live and grow. That is what I felt at the end of this book. Even though certain characters died and thinking about them STILL MAKES ME WANT TO CRY View Spoiler » I finished this book, this series feeling incredibly hopeful.

“I wish I could live a thousand lives so I could fall in love with you a thousand times. . .”

I can tell you with 100% certainty that these books and these characters will stick with me in my heart and soul until I die. While this isn’t a light and fluffy series that can be re-read at any time during any mood, I know that I will be revisiting them for years to come. I really hope more and more people discover these books and you had better believe that once I start being able to see library patrons face-to-face again that I will be shoving this series at anyone who asks for a fantasy recommendation.

The chant dissolves into a roar. Within it, I hear my father’s voice and my mother’s. I hear Hannah’s and View Spoiler ». Loyal, they whisper, to the end.

Here’s a few spoiler thoughts under the tag for those of you interested: