Book Review: Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James

This was a re-read for me, but I remembered almost nothing about the story. And I really enjoyed it-it was sooooo close to five stars. There is a chance that I will spontaneously update it to five stars. This book does have some mixed reviews because Eloisa James writes some harsh and real stories. Some people think this isn’t a romance. I think it definitely fits the genre’s constructs and its realness is what I loved about it.

Gowan and Edie get married fairly quickly and have immediate physical chemistry. But they have to figure out how to be a couple. That is one of my favorite types of romances to read-especially as I get older. It’s just very interesting to see two individuals become a partnership.

So many of their struggles surround their sex life. Gowan is also a virgin-I love a good virgin hero-so they both lack some knowledge when it comes to sex. Edie doesn’t particularly enjoy sex and feels uncomfortable telling Gowan this. They both want the other to be happy, but struggle with communication. I think some readers are bothered by the lack of mind-blowing sex but I loved t he realism. And I really loved how Ms. James used the struggles around sex to showcase the characters and their development.

You know what else I love? The relationship between Edie and her stepmother, Layla. I am so happy when I read positive step-parent-child relationships. It’s so easy to go with the stereotype-especially in a story like this where Layla is so much younger than Edie’s dad. That relationship just really warmed my heart.

I actually listened to this on audio. And the audio was very good. There was a single narrator (female) which isn’t my favorite, but she did a very good job. I loved her accent and voice choices.

Oh, I almost forgot-the Smyth-Smiths from Julia Quinn’s books showed up. I love when author’s characters show up in another author’s books. It’s a nice little Easter Egg if you read both authors-which I do.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Brave Review by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I wanted to review this-then life got in the way. So, now I’m struggling. I should go back to taking notes as I read. I’m a bad reviewer.

This was such a solid book. The overall plot was good, but the reason I really enjoyed it because of Ivy’s journey throughout. She went through some real tough shit in book two. Reading about her handling this fallout was beautiful and sometimes hard to read. This may be a fantastical story, but the struggle is heart-breakingly real.

Ren was also amazing. I’ve liked him in the previous books, but he really shined here. Yes, he is his own person, but I loved how he treated and handled Ivy. He was incredibly supportive and kind. Sometimes JLA heroes are a little over-the-top and he felt more low-key.

Tink is a treasure. I have so many questions about him and his past. I can’t decided if I want the mystery to remain or for him to have his own story. Decisions decisions.

The ending to the larger plot was a little lacking, but the characters definitely made up for that. It was a satisfying conclusion, but not as explained as I would’ve preferred.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

October Wrap-Up (2019)

October was one heck of a month. I actually read more than I thought I did which was a happy surprise. It just feels like the month has been total chaos. And I feel like November will not be any better. And I definitely expect my reading to go down then.

I kind of feel like I’m losing my mind. I keep forgetting things I’m normally all over. And there is not enough time in the day. But I will persevere.

Here are the books I read in October, grouped by rating:

October Book Haul (2019)

I got quite a collection of books this month. Some where books I’ve already read, but really wanted physical copies on my shelf. Others were newer releases. And my OwlCrate came with two books this month. I am very excited about both. Actually, the whole October OwlCrate was spectacular.

Here are the books I got:

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

I’m a little up in the air on this one. If I still did half-stars, I would lean more toward 3.5. Honestly, I think I would’ve enjoyed this more if I had previously read and watched a ton of Arthur/Camelot/Merlin things before. Yes, it’s nice because it makes me more aware of what’s going on (i.e. foreshadowing) and I can see when Ms. White was playing with the story. But it also makes things fairly predictable [cough] the ending [cough]. I was actually really disappointed with the ending, because I thought she would go a different way-which I would have loved, because it would be unexpected.

Moving on.

Guinevere is definitely an interesting character. And I love her as the main character. Guinevere is an often unsatisfying-to-unlikable character in the Arthurian legend. Not you Merlin, you’re Guinevere is great. She’s often under-developed so I love that she’s being explored and given agency in this story. I do hope there is more revealed about her past in the next book-I don’t want it to be dragged out too long. I do have some theories.

Let’s talk other characters. Brangien is probably my favorite character. And I love the little bits you get of her life/story. I’m a little conflicted about Arthur. He seems like a good person, but I don’t know who I feel about him-especially as a potential love interest. Oh, I almost forgot Lancelot without spoilers? Close second for favorite character. I can’t wait for more about Lancelot. Personally, that’s really exciting, because I typically can’t stand the Lancelot character. I will not discuss Mordred, because of spoilers, but his probably the character I am the most disappointed in.

Then, there’s the magic. I like the idea of knot magic, but the overall magic system isn’t explained enough. I could be wrong, but right now it feels like the story is relying on the fact that the Arthurian legend has magic built in. Yes, it does, but I still need an explanation.

I do plan on continuing with the series and seeing where the story goes from here.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I don’t have a lot to say, I just want to express my frustration with Zayne. AM I only one who finds him kind of annoying? I get that he cares about Layla, but I don’t like how he expresses that love. He is soooooo overprotective and treats her like a precious China doll. I’m sure some people find that sweet, but she can take care of herself.

There was a mystery throughout most of the book, but I thought it was pretty obvious. I just wish that wasn’t as drawn out.

The stakes were definitely raised and I really care about Layla. I hurt whenever she hurts. And it’s still great to read her struggle of being pulled between different worlds. I don’t really know where this will go or what the resolution will be, but I am excited to keep reading.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James

This was a re-read (via audio book) and I think I originally read it around the release. I remember it being one of my favorites in the series, but I definitely had some issues this time.

This is friends-to-lovers and a second chance romance. Those are two tropes I like-especially second chance. I enjoyed reading about Theo and James'' romance and how they came to love each other. It was a pleasure to read them as a young couple and learning what it means to be a couple. But the reuniting aspect of the story wasn’t quite as developed as I would’ve liked. They just came back together too quickly. It was like, “let’s have sex-everything is better now.” I still really enjoy them as a couple and would’ve loved more.

I also really liked how Ms. James used the Ugly Duckling story. Theo is really just different. She doesn’t have some sort of magical glow-up that solved all her problems. She grows confidence and others feed off that. And James always cared about her and loved her-he didn’t suddenly “discover” her because she got '“pretty”. I was very happy with those narrative choices.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Accidental Butterfly by Marisa Cleveland

The concept for this is really interesting. I’ve seen a few movies where people die and are given a second chance. I like that Kate has to try and save someone from the same fate.

Like I said, I like the idea of Kate going through this journey. By trying to save someone else she learns a lot and grows into a better person. I kind of wish there was no romance. It felt a little like it came out of nowhere and then its pacing was a little off.

A lot of the story felt a little disjointed. Maybe a few more rounds of editing or some more words would’ve helped with that. I got confused about the relationship between some of the characters and the logistics of the world.

I cried quite a bit toward the end of the book. And not just a few gentle tears-I had to stop to clear my eyes a few times. This definitely shows that I liked the characters, but I would’ve liked more story development.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: #Player by Cambria Hebert

I didn’t hate this, but I can’t bring myself to give it 3 stars. This book and the whole series is very dramatic and like a soap opera. It reminds me of Abbi Glines’ books. Sometimes I like that plot style, but I’m not always in that mind set.

Potential spoilers in the next paragraph.

There were a few minor issues that compounded to lead to my rating. If I never hear or say the phrase “Hells No” again it will be too soon. Hell no is fine, but not Hells No. Why? I don’t know, but it grated on me. there were also some legal things which I (in my non-legal professional opinion) don’t think are realistic. Rimmel and Romeo were attacked at the end of the book. That would be a criminal charge-but there was no DA or prosecutor. And the guy is sent to a mental health facility which I’m pretty sure can’t be done in a civil trial.

I still like the friendships-especially between Ivy and Rimmel and Braedon and Rimmel.

The male narrator (because I listened to the audio book) was very good. I would’ve preferred he narrate the whole book.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: #Hater by Cambria Hebert

I listened to this audio book pretty fast. It’s also the first fiction audio book I’ve listened to without having previously read it with my eyeballs..

It’s an OK book with OK characters. I’m really over the super-protective boyfriend thing. Romeo needs to hold back on the “my girl”s and putting his name on Rimmel. This of course is personal preference. I did like the brother-sister relationship between Rimmel and Braedon. And I’m happy Ivy and Rimmel are still friends-I was really afraid Ivy would become the villain. #girlfriendship

Speaking of villains: Zac is a crazy person. A little unbelievable in my opinion, but I can overlook that for the sake of drama. But why does he hate Romeo? I just need some kind of explanation. Maybe it will be shown in the next book.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Goalie Interference by Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn

Where to start? I’m a horrible reviewer.

I enjoyed this book and it had tons of potential, but I was a little disappointed. I just wish there could’ve been more development with the romance. Yes, these characters have great chemistry, but I didn’t really see the journey from sexual chemistry to love. The ending was also a little…lacking.

This is a hockey enemies-to-lovers story which are two things I like in my romance. And both Emmitt and Ryu are goalies-my favorite position to read about. I also liked reading about their struggle of both wanting to be the starter and the added struggle of wanting to be a couple.

I’m also into the diversity in the story. Hockey is becoming more diverse and it’s nice to see that in fiction, too. I kind of wish the diversity was a little more obvious on the cover, but that’s personal.

I would read another book by these authors-maybe the first book in this series.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman

This has a lot of my favorite things in romance. It’s a marriage of convenience story which is one of my favorite tropes.

Overall, it was cute and a compelling story. It isn’t a new favorite, but I would be interested in reading more books by Kate Bateman.

I should probably be more detailed, but I don’t have much to say. The characters are interesting enough. Georgie is the 2nd skipping heiress I’ve read in the last couple of months. I liked her determination and passion for her father’s company. Benedict is nobility, but impoverished and the 2nd son. He works really hard and wants to help his brother restore their family estate. I would’ve liked more with his family especially since Georgie’s mom and sister show up a lot.

The romance was well-paced and fun to read. I liked the friendship of the guys and assume Benedict friends will be the focus of the next couple of books.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

September Wrap-Up (2019)

My reading just keeps going up. What is going on?!

I definitely think audiobooks are helping me out. I’m listening to so many-both nonfiction from the library and fiction via Audible. Usually I’m listening to Audible Escape. I did start dancing again this month which I thought would cut into my reading time. It did, but I’m in the car more so that increases my time to listen to audio books.

And it was a pretty great reading month if I look at my ratings. Hopefully, that continues. I have a lot of books on my TBR I want to read.

Here are the books I read in September organized by rating:

Book Review: The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

Reading this was like getting a warm hug from my cat. My cat is a great cuddler.

Penny was such a great heroine. I want to be her friend-she’s so easy to like. And I loved that she was a vegetarian. I actually wondered if she would be because of her love and passion for animals. I thought it was great that Ms. Dare added that layer.

Gabriel was an equally fantastic hero. He has the standard historical romance background I’ve been reading lately: low-born, jaded, self-made fortune, etc. And Ms. Dare really flushed him out. He was so supportive of Penny and in ways that seemed natural. He remembered her passions. And his default position in sex was waiting and asking for her consent.

They were great as partners, too. Both had an impact on each other-pushing them to be better people. I’ve been reading about a lot of couples like that lately and I’m loving it.

The friendships!!! There is so many great friend groups in romance and I live for it. Of course the four girls were nice and great friends. Their husbands were also great additions to that group. I also loved when Ash and Chase started to “force” Gabe into being their friend. I love a good bromance.

Perhaps I said love to much in this review. But that’s how I feel. And I do not want to wait almost a year for Nicola’s story!

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Fall Seasonal TBR (2019)

I’m back with another seasonal TBR. Every season I pick 5 books to try and read. One is a TBR veteran which gets unhauled if I don’t read it. Then, I pick 2 books out of my ebook TBR jar. And finally, 2 books from my physical book TBR jar.

Here are the books I picked:

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Holy crap! I really putt off reading this series for years.

Why?!

I like don’t even know what to say, but I want to do more than just leave a rating.

There was such a wonderful atmosphere to this whole story. It sucked me in and made me feel like I was really watching everything unfold. It kind of had a hazy feeling sometimes-I don’t know how else to describe it.

And I really enjoyed the characters. They’re all interesting and I liked reading their stories. I just want to hug Noah. I don’t know about any romance. I’m sure there will be one, but I don’t know what I want to happen there.

I’m super excited to read the next book. Thankfully I bought the whole series.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

This was a good read, but I’m not fangirling over it like some people. :( At least it was much better than my previous super-hyped book. And it was my first F/F story-if you have any recs leave them in the comments.

In the end, I liked both Sana and Rachel. Sana was easier to like initially, which Rachel is harsh, jaded, and closed off. I particularly liked how the author used appearance and cheerleading to show Sana’s personality. It’s nice to have a cheerleader character who isn’t a stereotype. I was friends with a lot of cheerleaders and they were great people so that always bothered me. I would’ve liked more development with Rachel especially her relationship with her dad.

The diversity was great and exactly what I like. Rachel is Mexican-Jewish which is a fairly large culture/group of people that is often overlooked. There was tons of great subtle diversity. It makes the world more flushed out to me. And I loved how San'a’s family was written. It was also great that both Sana and Rachel were out and no one cares. I know there are still people who are bigoted, but I love reading about supportive family and friends. If you act like it’s normal (which it is") I think the world will see it as more normal.

Can I mention Diesel? He was a great side character and friend. I would love a story about him.

This could easily become a 4-star read upon a re-read, but for now I’m sticking with three stars. And I would definitely read another Aminah Mae Safi book in the future.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

September Book Haul (2019)

These the books I bought in September.

Book Review: Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

I finally finished this series! It’s been years.

This was a satisfying book and conclusion. Although I did think Sofia and Gideon were a little more emotionally distant. Maybe the other books were like that and I just don’t remember. I still liked them and was interested in their story, but I could’ve been more connected.

I am still kind of confused about the larger plot with the Whispers. Them (?) and the little chapter interludes always felt weird to me. I feel like a learned a little toward the end. I’m not sure if its an issue with the writing or just over my head. Who knows? I would read more by these authors.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Brazen & the Beast by Sarah MacLean

This 5-star rating is super emotional and impulsive, but I am standing by it.

I’ve read some reviews where people complain about this being very similar to Wicked and the Wallflower. I thought that while reading but it’s been like a year since I read the first one. And honestly, I don’t care! There were some repetitive thoughts/conversations in this book that bothered me more.

Hattie & Whit were interesting characters. Hattie is smart and determined. She also has some insecurities-mainly about her body. This felt realistic and never got really annoying. Whit is a fairly standard bad-boy romance hero, but sometimes I am.

I loved seeing Devil and Felicity again. Lord knows I am a huge fan of Felicity as a character. There were also references to the Talbot sisters. Naturally, this made me want to reread their books. And I want more-I feel like there was some potential bait for another story there.

The Nik and Nora story line was so minor, but I need more. Can I get a novella or something at least? I need more & I want in their heads.

I know people are apprehensive about Grace & Ewan’s story, but I’m not. First, Grace is so interesting and I’m here just to find out more about her. I think she is hiding a lot. After The Day of the Duchess I have faith in Ms. MacLean executing their story.

Thanks for reading!
Holly