Fiction

The Floating World

by Axie Oh

coming April 29, 2025

(4.5 / 5)

The Floating World is the first book in a new young adult fantasy series. It brings us to a unique world where a land mass is floating above an entire city that is left in darkness.

At first I was a little unsure about this book. There’s a lot going on in the beginning, with getting introduced to this strange world and learning about various characters. But the more I read, the more invested I became in the story. It was amazing how many things ended up being interconnected, almost like pieces of a puzzle coming together. This world definitely had some dystopian vibes to it too.

Our main characters are Ren and Sunho, who each have something they are searching for and end up finding each other. I loved these characters and felt like they had a lot of depth to them. Their interactions with each other were something I really enjoyed. Some chapters also follow a 3rd character, which gave us another angle to see things.

The book brings up a variety emotions. There’s action and excitement, friendships built, and some really sad parts too. I especially enjoyed the mysterious feel it had. The book ends a bit dramatically with some questions still left unanswered and issues unresolved. I’m looking forward to the next book coming later this year, because I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the free ARC copy of The Floating World! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

Any Trope but You

by Victoria Lavine

coming April 1, 2025

(4 / 5)

Margot is a romance author who was recently canceled after a personal file was leaked publicly. In hopes of saving her career, she goes to remote Alaska to write a book in a new genre.

Any Trope but You was a fun book to read. As the title suggests, it’s full of romance tropes. It might be a little ridiculous, but the fact that the characters are pointing it out makes it more comedic than cheesy. I really liked both main characters, Margot and Forrest. I thought Margot felt especially real with all her mishaps and really being out of her comfort zone. The relationship that develops brings on a decent amount of spice, so if that’s not your thing, you may want to give this one a pass. Plot-wise there wasn’t anything all that surprising along the way, but it wasn’t something I was expecting either. Bonus points for the great setting in the Alaskan wilderness! It made a nice wintertime read.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Any Trope but You! All opinions are completely my own.

February 17, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Bad Publicity

By Bianca Gillam

Coming May 20, 2025

(3.5 / 5)

In Bad Publicity, we follow Andie, a book publicist who has found out that she will be promoting a book written by the man she never wanted to talk to again, Jack. While the book seems to be marketed as a romance, I found that wasn’t the main focus of the story. Instead, it is mostly a journey of a woman who has avoided facing the grief from her father dying 5 years ago and now must face it.

Honestly, I don’t think I ever fully connected with Andie’s character. She felt very self-centered which was often frustrating. The “enemies” aspect was one-sided, with Andie being very hostile toward Jack and often not acting professionally. We don’t find out about the events from Andie and Jack’s past until about 70% of the way through the book – I think I would have preferred to have the context earlier on so I could understand where all the animosity was coming from. All of this did allow for some good character growth, but even at the end there were aspects about Andie’s actions that I found hard to explain.

All that said, the book did keep my interest well enough while I was reading it, and I think there’s some valuable insight about processing grief. I especially enjoyed the frequent setting changes while the characters traveled to different cities in Europe.

Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Bad Publicity! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

February 13, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Meet Me at Blue Hour

By Sarah Suk

Coming April 1, 2025

(4.5 / 5)

Imagine a technology that could erase unwanted memories… In Meet Me at Blue Hour, such technology is a reality, using sounds recorded on a cassette tape.

This story was very thought-provoking and had a unique feel to it. It really dives into the “what if” scenario of this fictional technology, highlighting both the advantages and negative repercussions that come with it. There’s an impact not only for those that are erasing memories, but the other people who are connected to them and shared the memories. Even a day after finishing the book I can feel the impact of the message it had.

In addition to the first person accounts of Yena and Lucas, our two main characters, we also have chapters that are narrated by objects that made sounds tied to memories, such as a lawnmower or ice cream truck. They almost feel like witness testimonials. It was such an interesting way to portray that aspect of the story, and I liked the added depth it seemed to give.

This story definitely had a sad undertone to it, but I enjoyed the main characters and their growth through the book. I wasn’t expecting some of the directions things went along the way, which only added to my enjoyment of the story as a whole.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books, Quill Tree Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Meet Me at Blue Hour! I truly enjoyed the book and have provided my honest opinions.

February 11, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Sci-Fi Young Adult 0

The Encanto’s Curse

The Encanto’s Daughter #2

By Melissa de la Cruz

Coming March 4, 2025

(4 / 5)

The Encanto’s Curse is the 2nd book in the The Encanto’s Daughter duology and takes place a few months after the first book left off. I found this story had a similar feel to the first one, though it had more romance involved. I’m not sure if I was completely a fan of the love triangle aspect, but it added a bit of mystery about how who she would end up with (though I had a pretty good idea of how that would go). I thought the ties to Filipino folklore were interesting, with the manananggal sounding downright terrifying. The book definitely didn’t lack in action and excitement, so it kept me engaged and interested in the story. I was happy with how this series ended and liked that there were some directions the plot went that I didn’t see coming.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Encanto’s Curse! All opinions are completely my own and voluntary.

February 7, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Shampoo Unicorn

By Sawyer Lovett

Coming May 6, 2025

(4 / 5)

Shampoo Unicorn is a story that follows 3 LGBTQ teens who live in conservative small towns in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. They each provide a different perspective: the gay boy who everyone always just knew about and hosts a podcast, the masculine football player who is secretly gay, and a trans girl who is struggling to get through life until she can feel safe enough to live as her true self. Full disclosure: I am not LGBTQ myself, but as the parent of an LGBTQ teen, I enjoy reading stories that help me better understand those experiences.

At first I was a little unsure of the book. Each of the main characters’ portions are portrayed in a different perspective: 1st person (Brian), 2nd person (Greg), and 3rd person (Leslie). It took a bit to get used to, especially Greg’s 2nd person part. Plus we are also getting transcripts of Brian’s podcast, which I actually enjoyed a lot despite not being into podcasts personally. Once I got used to how the book was presented, I came to appreciate how the different perspectives gave each character a very distinctive feel and portrayed their individual experience especially well. For example, I found Greg’s 2nd person part to be very reflective and fitting for what his character goes through in the story. Leslie’s 3rd person perspective really drove home that she was undoubtedly a girl despite her male appearance, and we were seeing her authentic self. Leslie was actually one of my favorite characters, and I would have loved to see even more of her story.

I felt like this story was pretty character-driven, which I sometimes struggle with but actually enjoyed a lot in this book. I was impressed with the growth of characters, especially some of the secondary characters that were rather unexpected. I also appreciated the variety of LGBTQ experiences that were portrayed by fans of the podcast. This book turned out to be a heartwarming story that held a lot of meaning and left me with a sense of hope. What a wonderful debut novel – I look forward to seeing future books by Sawyer Lovett!

Thank you to Hyperion and BookishFirst for the free review copy of Shampoo Unicorn! My review is voluntary and all opinions are completely my own.

February 2, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction LGBTQ Paperback Young Adult 0

When You Renovate a Grump

When in Rotheberg #6

By Lia Huni

Coming February 10, 2025

(4 / 5)

When You Renovate a Grump fits right in with the rest of the books in this series of sweet romcoms. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the others though, this one could easily be read as a standalone. In this story, we follow Andi, a former princess who is now trying to provide for herself without the help of her family. She happens to meet Reece in London when he comes to her rescue, though they part ways without exchanging contact information. So imagine their surprise when they discover that they are both living in the same small town in Oregon.

I enjoyed reading this book! Andi has a lot of spunk that makes her relatable despite her former status as royalty. It was certainly interesting to see her helping out with a home renovation! Reece comes off a bit aloof at first, but I liked his dry sense of humor and could tell he was a decent guy. The personalities played against each other well, and I respected that each of them was trying to find success on their own. There were a lot of lighthearted moments, keeping the story fun. The book kept my interest the whole way through, and it was hard to put down!

Thank you to Lia Huni for providing a free review copy of When You Renovate a Grump! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

January 28, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

When You Rescue Your Celebrity Crush

When in Rotheberg #3

By Lia Huni

I’m working on reading the entire When in Rotheberg series in order, though this book could easily be a standalone. I ended up liking this one more than book #2. In this story, we follow Matt and his celebrity crush, actress Nica. Matt as a character was a lot more fun than I was expecting, and I enjoyed how the book started with a prank on his daughter. Honestly, in the beginning I didn’t see how a romance between the two could ever work (which is basically how the characters feel too), but it all came together in a way that makes sense. I enjoyed seeing all the quirky characters we’ve met along the way in this series, and also finally meeting Matt’s daughter, Eva. I’m looking forward to continuing on to the next book in the series!

January 22, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Romance 0

When You Get Stuck with Your Famous Ex

When in Rotheberg #2

By Lia Huni

(3.5 / 5)

After 20 years, Rachel is reunited with her ex who is now a famous country music star. A lot of chaos ensues, with an unexpected road trip and pet hijinks. I didn’t like this book as much as the first one, but it still kept my interest enough. I didn’t really feel the romance until towards the end, which was probably a factor. I thought some of the situations that came up were too unbelievable and felt out of character, plus there’s some deception along the way that just didn’t sit right with me. Suspending some reality though, this book certainly didn’t have a dull moment!

January 20, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

When You Bake with the Enemy

When in Rotheberg Book 1

By Lia Huni

(4 / 5)

When You Bake with the Enemy is the first book in the When in Rotheberg series, which brings us to a small Bavarian-inspired town in Oregon. This story follows Jamie, a math teacher who is new to the town and unexpectedly finds out she also has to teach a baking class. When she encounters Dylan, a local who is hoping to build a test kitchen in the spot where the baking class takes place, sparks fly.

I thought this was a really cute story. In the beginning I was a little overwhelmed with all the characters we were meeting, but since Jamie was new to town, it also felt like a good reflection about how she must feel. Plus, I can already see how it sets up for the series to easily expand into multiple books. The story alternates POVs between Jamie and Dylan, which I think helped me like both characters because I could see the situation from both sides. Dylan definitely had moments where his actions could be frustrating, but it was hard to stay mad at him for long. In the end, there was nothing particularly surprising about this story, but it was a fun escape and kept me interested the whole time. I’m looking forward to continuing the series!

January 17, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0