Book Review: Taste of Sage by Yaffa Santos

This had a lot of potential. I like a lot of the concepts and there should be more chef romances. But it was really lacking. I’m going to be as positive as I can, because I’m sure someone will love this. 

Let’s start with the characters. Lumi and Julien could be compelling, but come across as shells. Julien is especially underdeveloped. There were attempts at backstory, but not fully realized. Lumi felt the most real when she was cooking. They were also pretty bland. 

The romance. There was no chemistry or attraction between them. I have no idea why these two fell in love other than they were supposed to for the plot. That doesn’t create a romance.

I think part of the problem with the romance comes from the pacing. I was constantly confused about how much time had passed. And sometimes it was written like months had passed which I’m supposed to interpret as time for character development, but it was like one day. I swear there were continuity issues, but don’t have the desire to re-read to confirm.

There’s also a magical realism part of this story. Or at least that’s what I’m going to call it. Now, I don’t read a lot of magical realism so maybe there are genre norms I’m unaware of. It felt forced. It was an interesting concept, but I don’t understand Lumi’s “gift”. It seemed like a convenient plot point for drama, but, like the characters, was poorly developed.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Written in Red by Anne Bishop

Apparently I didn’t review this when I first read it. That was clearly an oversight on my part. So, why not review it now that I’m doing a re-read.

I just love this: the characters, world, and plot. And the writing is fantastic. The writing is informative while being engaging. And it felt like returning home. Ms. Bishop does a good job of using different tones and sentence construction depending on the character’s perspective you are in. I like that and it helps pull you in.

And I connect to all the characters. They aren’t all great people, but I understand each of them. While I do have favorites (I adore Meg), I don’t feel the need to jump over perspectives. That’s not very common for me-especially on a re-read. 

The plot and world are equally engaging. Just enough is revealed to keep you interested, but also builds suspense. I know how things turn-out, but was still on the edge of my seat. And I love what Ms. Bishop does with the Others. She makes them feel so real. They aren’t romanticized paranormal/fantastic creatures. Instead, they feel like creatures who evolved in the world alongside people/humans.

I liked it even more the second time around. I’m happy to be in this world again. 

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Burn Zone by Annabeth Albert

*I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions*

I wanted to love this. I thought I would, but I ended up a little disappointed.

I’m into firefighter stories. They typically have a found family feel to them which I personally like. This had that. Or at least the potential for it. Honestly, that was a lot of this book: tons of potential.

Let’s talk characters. I don’t have too much to say. They are perfectly fine and average guys. I did struggle to tell them apart though. I was bothered by something Jacob did. He basically guilted Linc into coming out. That kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. And I feel like a lot of the Annabeth Albert’s books I’ve read have this plot point to some degree-this one was just the worst. I don’t like it, but that could come down to personal preference.

While I was disappointed, I wouldn’t tell someone else not to read this. 

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Pride, Prejudice, & Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

How do I explain how I felt about this? 

I don’t even know where to start. 

I wanted to talk about this as its own story and a retelling.

First, I’m not sure this is a romance novel. There’s definitely a romance storyline with a HEA, but so much of the story is about Trisha and DJ dealing with their own issues and growing. Definitely not steamy. There’s chemistry and passion, but not as obvious as you see in a lot of modern romance.

Trisha and DJ were great characters. I actually enjoy all the characters. Enjoy may not be the best word, because I don’t like all of them as people. But I am interested and intrigued by all of them. Trisha’s family really got to me. They don’t have a perfect relationship at all, but they are very real and you can tell there is love.

Ms. Dev always makes me hungry. I need to find out if there’s an Indian restaurant near me. DJ’s passion for food jumped off the page. Trisha is a spectacular surgeon. She’s pretty arrogant, but isn’t that synonymous with “surgeon”? And it felt very natural. I love a competent character or two. 

This does address some social issues and it was done fairly well. There was one scene that felt a little forced. To me, it was less forced to make a political statement and more to force character change in Trisha. This strays into the Austen roots, but Ms. Dev addressed class differences very well. She also talked about privilege, but in such a well-rounded and thoughtful way. I loved how she incorporated things like race, immigration, and assimilation to this larger discussion.

Now, let’s talk about this as an adaptation/retelling. Ms. Dev said this is inspired by Pride and Prejudice-not a strict retelling. It’s been a few years since I read Pride and Prejudice, but I generally agree. Some have said this is gender swapped-I kind of agree. Trisha is more of a Darcy  and Wickham is a female, but I think this story is more complex than one-to-one compassions.

Beyond the characters, I think this does a good job of working with themes from the source material. There are some of the same plot points, but not all of them. Her version of the proposal scene was so good. It had so much passion. It was pure perfection. 

I hope there are 6 books in this series. I want to learn more about the Raje family. Plus, there’s some Austen I don’t particularly like and Sonali Dev could probably make me like them. There’s more I could talk about, but this has gone on long enough.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

May Wrap-Up (2020)

May was a pretty good reading month. I was able to complete 17 books. And 11 of them were 4 or 5 stars. I also pushed myself out of my comfort zone a little bit this month which makes me proud. Below are all the books I read, the rating I gave them, and some thoughts on them.

Book Review: The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis

I’ve been putting off writing this. 

I just don’t have much to say. 

This kind of left me a little...meh. 

There wasn’t anything particularly wrong. It just felt like all set up for a series. Of course, you need set up, but not a full-length book worth of it. I also don’t feel attached to or strongly about any of the characters. I would read more in the series to see if there is more to the characters and overall plot, but I’m not dying to read more.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai

I wanted to love this. It was set up for me to love-so much of my catnip. It wasn’t a bad book. Instead, it felt a little meh. I wasn’t dying to pick it back up every time I set it down and it took me almost a week to finish which almost never happens for a romance. I would still recommend it, especially if you are interested in the plot.

The characters are interesting-especially in concept. Kat is a former model who is dealing with PTSD and anxiety. I like reading about characters dealing with mental trauma. Let’s not analyze what that says about me. But there was so much to her past that it all couldn’t be explored and I never fully connected with her. Jas is similar, but I was able to wrap my head around his psychology a little more. I especially liked his interactions with his family. They were very organic and my favorite parts of the story.

The romance had potential, but I never got sucked in. I believe Kat and Jas grow to love each other, but I didn’t feel it. There was also a lot of not talking to each other. I can excuse some of it, because of their pasts, but eventually it got annoying. 

However, I think Alisha Rai addressed some important topics like social media/virality. I have no idea if she was inspired by this story, but a year or two ago there was a viral twitter thread about two people meeting on a plane. I’ll admit, I was sucked in. I love a good love story. But those were still two human beings who deserved privacy. It’s easy to assume people on the internet (and celebrities)aren’t human beings deserving of privacy and have multi-dimensional lives. I’m glad Ms. Rai used this “meet-cute” set up and turned it on its head.

While I was a little disappointed, I would check out another book by her. I just don’t know where to start (again).

Thanks for reading!
Holly

April Wrap-Up (2020)

These are the books I read in April. My reading started to go up this month which was good. I also enjoyed a lot of the books I read. Below are the books I read along with some thoughts. They may be spoilery so proceed with caution.

Book Review: An Heiress to Remember by Maya Rodale

I forgot how much I like Maya Rodale’s writing. I’ve never really liked American-set historical. I’m still not a fan, but I wasn’t bothered by it.

This is a second chance romance which is one of my favorite tropes. There’s also a class-differences aspect which I also like reading. Oftentimes second chance romance will have a “past and present” set up. I like that and seeing the first falling in love along with the second. This story didn’t have that and I definitely missed it. I still believe Wes and Bea’s romance, but I would’ve liked more. They have good chemistry that was well-paced.

Bea is a very strong and independent woman, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t experience self-doubt. This is influenced by how people have spoken to her and treated her. That felt very natural and believable. But sometimes the story felt like an agenda. Ms. Rodale based a lot of her characters and plot points on real people and events. That’s awesome and a lot of woman historically were overlooked. But it felt like a huge PSA. You can have a valid message, but I don’t like feeling like I’m being preached to.

I liked being in the world of department stores. It really is a fascinating thing in history. Wes and Beatrice are so passionate and involved in their stores. It was so natural for them and I love a competent character. I especially liked when they talked about their stores with each other. Mutual respect is sexy.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Badger to the Bone by Shelly Laurenston

How do I write a review for this? I’ve heard people say you are a Shelly Laurenston fan or you aren’t. I would say I’m a fan, but is everyone as confused as I am. This is my fourth book and I’m still confused. Maybe I need to read everything in some sort of order. I’ll check Google.

I was interested to see more of Max and see what kind of guy she ends up with. I did like getting in her head and seeing more of why she does what she does. And I’m always game for the sister relationship. Ze was an interesting character, but he wasn’t as developed as I would’ve liked. I just wanted to know more about him and see his thought process.

There’s a large plot line to the series. Maybe multiple plots. I feel like there are so many characters that I struggle to understand their respective relationships.

But Shen. He didn’t show up a ton, but I forgot how much I love him. He’s such a calming presence and I want a Shen in my life.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

March Wrap-Up (2020)

These are the books I read in March. The quantity of reading decreased this month, but I’m ok with it. This was also when we had to start working from home so that was a change. Below are all the books I read and some brief thoughts on them.

Book Review: Heartland by Sarina Bowen

The Shipley’s are my favorite fictional family so I love spending more time with them.

Dylan was nothing like I expected based on the previous books, but that’s because I wasn’t in his head before. He was very interesting and complex. He was the stereotypical “manwhore” character you see a lot of romance -especially in new adult. But Ms. Bowen took time to develop him. He also really cares about his friends and family which I love.

Chastity was such a treat. She escaped a cult a few years earlier and is still dealing with the fallout. She’s a little naive (understandably) but she doesn’t want to be. She has always been a sexual person, but her upbringing really messed with her head. She could’ve been a one-note character but Ms. Bowen went further, as she always does.

The romance. It has some unrequited love which is probably my least favorite trope. But Sarina Bowen has some sort of magic that makes me enjoy a story I shouldn’t. Even though Chastity is gaga for Dylan she doesn’t let him push her around. That probably helped. It’s also a little bit friends-to-lovers. And I loved their sex scenes. This story is like a masterclass in using sex for character and relationship building.

The other plot elements were equally engaging. Dylan’s relationship with her brother, Griffin, was hard to read, but in the best possible way. Chastity is still dealing with her upbringing which was also heartbreaking. It was well-done and felt natural. I think I’m into escaping cult romances.

And now I really need Daphne and Rickie’s book. I have so many questions and theories. Can I at least have a release date?

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren

This is only my second Christina Lauren book (I’m pretty sure) and I really enjoyed myself. It was a fairly light romance with some rom-com feels. Some people compared it to Set It Up on Netflix. I recently watched that movie and like it a lot. I see the connections-especially in the overworking of the female assistants-but they are their own thing.

Carey and James were both good and likable characters. They have good chemistry and great interactions. Carey felt more developed and had a better arc than James. It isn’t a big issues, but an observation.

Carey has a medical condition which added to the story and felt well-done. One of the author’s has a family member with the same condition. It was something I had never heard of but I did research afterward. It also added to why Carey put up with all the crap at work. There were also emotional reasons and combined, her decision to stay felt very real.

There was a small “now and then” aspect to the story structure. The “now” was police interviews. Initially, I liked it and it built up some tension, but the ending was underwhelming.

I enjoyed my time reading this and need to move Christina Lauren up on my TBR because I’ve liked both books I’ve read.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

February Wrap-Up (2020)

Better late than never!

Also, no one reads these so who cares.

I did change my wrap-up set up. I’ve been taking short little notes in my book journal for every book I read. That’s what I’m going to post here. They will be in the order that I read the books. I also plan on adding these notes to GoodReads if I don’t do a more long form review.

Book Review: Barbarian's Touch by Ruby Dixon

I loved this. I think its my new favorite. Lila and Rokan were both great characters. She was very real and her struggles felt natural. Rokan was so supportive and precious. He was great with Lila and helping her survive. He also didn’t treat Lila different because she’s deaf.

Now, I want to discuss a possible spoiler. I was so nervous her khui would “fix” Lila’s deafness. I didn’t like that because being deaf doesn’t mean you’re broken. And I’m so happy that didn’t happen.

I’m getting more invested in this world and the characters. It’s becoming more developed and I’m curious to see where it goes from here.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

I was all over the place with this one. For like the first third I was uninterested. Then, the action stepped up and Jude had to make difficult decisions. I also kept guessing what was going to happen which kept me engaged. I do want to continue with the series.

Jude is interesting but not my favorite character. She makes a lot of dumb decisions. I understand character development and difficult choices. But she was just foolish. I could grow to like her, but right now I’m kind of “blah.”

Generally, I’m not a big fan of grey morality, but I’m open to this story. Why? I don’t know. Maybe Ms. Black set up the explanation for characters’ choices very well for me. Made is probably the character I’m the most invested and interested in. Garden has potential. But I’ve seen this type of character before and the change needs to be well done for me to be onboard.

I heard so much about Jude and Garden. Why does no one talk about Jude’s family? I would’ve been more on board with this series if I knew about her sisters and family.

Hopefully, I continue to enjoy these books.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Ice Planet Holiday by Ruby Dixon

This is my first 3-Star in this series. I still enjoyed myself though.

Those goes between Georgie (from book 1) and Claire. There is a romance which is Claire’s. I think this stopped me from getting fully invested in Claire’s story. I don’t really know much about her. I called about Georgie and her spending labor, but it’s been around awhile. I don’t regret reading this or anything, but it did lack some of the magic of the earlier books.

I am more excited about Tiffany and Josie’s stories now. I’m really feeling for Josie. I can’t wait for that one.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Barbarian's Prize by Ruby Dixon

I end up liking Tiffany’s story. I wasn’t invested going in, but grew to care about her. And I was glad to have another non-resonance story. Tiffany was raped when they were abducted. She is still dealing with that which is very realistic. Salukh was also really good at interacting with Tiffany. He naturally understood she needs space without knowing her whole story. Ms. Dixon handled this with care and respect while maintaining the feel of the overall series. I’m also here for Josie’s story and want to read it ASAP.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Barbarian Mine by Ruby Dixon

This may be my favorite in the series. There were time jumps which helped prevent repetitiveness. It also allowed for more development. Harlow as also a great character. I really liked reading about her journey. Rukh was also great. He is a different guy. I especially liked some of his insecurities and him dealing with that. There was also a reveal here which I called from the previous book, but I’m not expecting big shocking surprises from the series.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Wherever You Are by Krista & Becca Ritchie

This was almost perfection. It was so good I almost want to change my rating for the first books. And the way this works as a duology/duet is just fantastic.

Garrison still has my heart. I just want to hug and protect him. And I did get more of his relationship with Lo and Connor. I just live for those scenes. Oh, and him with Moffy was adorable. Willow is equally amazing. She is so easy to like and connect with.

The romance was so well done. Garrison and Willow grow together-as friends and lovers. They also support each other even when they have their own shit to deal with.

I’m so glad Garrison and Willow finally got their own story. I hope lots of people read them and love my babies, too.

Thanks for reading!
Holly