Fiction

Book Lovers

By Emily Henry

(5 / 5)

I enjoyed reading this book so much. The witty banter and comebacks between Nora and Charlie had me literally laughing out loud more than I have while reading a book in a long time. The characters had a lot of depth, with their first impressions barely scratching the surface. This book faces some heavy topics at times, but I enjoyed the growth of the characters and relationships with each other. As a book lover, I enjoyed the glimpses into the book publishing world, plus the quips about small town romance tropes when this was indeed a small town romance itself. My only regret is that it took me so long to finally get around to reading this book!

The Paris Chapter

By Victoria Walters

Coming January 19, 2025

(3 / 5)

In The Paris Chapter, we follow a romance author who has been struggling to write her next book after a bad break-up. She decides to still go on the vacation to Paris they had planned together, only to find her ex’s best friend is also staying in the one bedroom apartment.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I liked the Paris setting and visiting some of the sights the city had to offer. Both of the main characters lacked some self-confidence, but I thought their imperfections helped make them more realistic and relatable. There was even some spice along the way. But at times the book felt a bit too repetitive, especially with all the comparisons to the ex, who was quite toxic. I think what really lost me was the 3rd act drama and how oblivious the main characters seemed to be about what was going on. I was happy enough with how everything resolved, but I think I’d lost my connection with the characters by that point.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Paris Chapter! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

January 13, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

His Mortal Demise

The Last Bloodcarver #2

By Vanessa Le

Coming March 18, 2025

(5 / 5)

His Mortal Demise is the 2nd book in The Last Bloodcarver duology, and you definitely want to read these books in order. I’ll apologize in advance that my review will be a bit on the vague side, but I want to avoid spoilers for those who haven’t read the first book yet.

This book follows the perspectives of two different characters in different points in time. From the start we know that something miraculous has happened, and while one character tries to figure out what happened, we follow the other character through the months leading up to it. This all gave the story a mysterious feel, and it sometimes took directions that I wasn’t expecting at all. I’m not going to lie, there could be a very dark feel to this story at times, with grief, war, sacrifice, and questioning morals along the way. But there was also substantial character growth that was beautiful to watch. I’m glad that we were able to see many of the characters from the first book again and explore even more of this interesting fictional world. The last chunk of the book was especially packed with action and almost had a cinematic feel to it. And let’s not forget the absolute rollercoaster of emotions I experienced along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed both books in this duology, and I look forward to seeing more from author Vanessa Le in the future.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for the free review copy of His Mortal Demise! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

January 11, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The Break-Up Pact

By Emma Lord

(3.5 / 5)

June and Levi were close childhood friends who have had minimal contact for the past 10 years. Each has been in a long-term relationship that recently ended, quite publicly. When a photo starts circulating of the two of them, assuming they are dating each other, they decide to “fake date” to help draw business to June’s tea shop and make Levi’s fiancé jealous.

The Break-Up Pact was set in a small, tight-knit beach town where everyone seems to know each other. We follow several things that are going on beyond the main storyline… June’s tea shop struggling, Levi writing a book, June’s brother is getting married, and June’s friend Sana is trying to write an article worthy of being in a big magazine. There’s a bit of a sad undertone to the story due to June’s sister (and Levi’s friend) Annie passing away two years ago, and I think both characters are still processing the grief of her being gone. The main characters were overall likeable, though sometimes I found it a little frustrating how much June tended to push Levi away. Both characters have been living in situations that are more to fulfill the dreams of other people instead of themselves, so there was some good character development as June and Levi figured out what they actually wanted for themselves.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Break-Up Pact! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

January 5, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Heir, Apparently

By Kara McDowell

(5 / 5)

I absolutely loved The Prince and the Apocalypse, so when I saw there was going to be a sequel, I knew I had to read it. And holy cow, it did not disappoint. I devoured the book in a single day, which is not something that I usually do, but I just couldn’t put it down. I loved Wren and Theo as characters, with all the tension and banter between them that I loved from the last book coming back again. I wasn’t sure if it would be possible, but Heir, Apparently carried that same rollercoaster of emotions amidst tragedy, adventure, drama and romance. It was fun to meet some new characters along the way, giving the story a fresh dynamic. This duology of books was really well done, and I’d love to read them again!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Heir, Apparently! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

January 5, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

If the Ring Fits

By Camilla Isley

Coming January 25, 2025

(3.5 / 5)

When Rowena finds out she’s pregnant and lost her job in the same day, a chance encounter with a multi-millionaire who’s trying to impress his boss leads to an agreement that could benefit both of them… by getting married. If the Ring Fits is the 2nd book in Isley’s Funny Feelings series, though it can easily be read as a stand-alone. Fans of Isley’s may recognize a few familiar characters from her True Love series as well!

If the Ring Fits was a quick, light read that kept my interest well enough. Sometimes situations seemed a bit too convenient to be truly believable, but it’s all explained in a way that makes sense. I enjoyed the moments of playful banter between the main characters, and overall found both of them to be likable. As a former software engineer, I liked seeing the representation of a woman in STEM.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of If the Ring Fits! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

January 5, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Our Infinite Fates

By Laura Steven

Coming March 4, 2025

(3.5 / 5)

Our Infinite Fates had an interesting premise: two people, originally known as Evelyn and Arden, are fated to be reincarnated and find each other in every lifetime for hundreds of years, but each time one ends up killing the other before they turn 18. In present day Wales, Evelyn is determined to break the curse this time so she can save her ill sister.

From the beginning, I was drawn to the beautiful descriptions the book provided. Much of the story is set in the present day, but every couple chapters we visit a previous lifetime of Evelyn and Arden’s, gradually going farther back in time. It was interesting to see how their lives changed through different times, genders, and parts of the world yet other aspects of them stayed very similar. At times the book did feel a bit long and tedious – present-day Evelyn is repeatedly trying to understand why both of them must die before they turn 18, and while the past lives provide more variety, we know how it’s always going to end. Things do pick up a lot toward the end, and I was actually surprised how it all originated. As expected, this book had a lot of sad moments, though I was happy with the way it ended.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Our Infinite Fates! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

December 31, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

She Doesn’t Have a Clue

By Jenny Elder Moke

Coming January 21, 2025

(3 / 5)

She Doesn’t Have a Clue combines mystery and romance when an author, Kate, attends a wedding on a remote private island. Kate writes a mystery series, and when the mystery that she encounters parallels the plot of one of her books, she tries to channel her fictional character to solve it. Meanwhile, the groom at the wedding is Kate’s ex-fiancé, and her former friend/crush, Jake, is also in attendance.

The premise of this book seemed interesting, but unfortunately, it ended up falling a bit flat for me. I struggled with the beginning of the book, I think because we are meeting so many sketchy characters that I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. The narrative would also occasionally switch to the book that Kate wrote, which threw me off even more. It was obvious from the start that Kate had history with Jake, but the references were vague, and I felt a bit out of the loop (it was eventually explained, but not until much later in the book). Things did get more interesting when Kate realized that one of the wedding guests was up to no good, and there’s a mystery to solve. I figured out the culprit about 70% of the way through, though it wasn’t super obvious, and I think other readers might be kept guessing for a while. In the end, the story kept my attention well enough, but I feel like I never really connected with Kate and the story was a bit too chaotic for my taste, so it just wasn’t the right book for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a free copy of She Doesn’t Have a Clue! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

December 27, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Mystery Romance 0

Penitence

By Kristin Koval

Coming January 28, 2025

(3 / 5)

This book starts with an interesting premise… a struggling family is thrown into turmoil when their 13-year-old daughter, Nora, shoots and kills their 14-year-old son, Nico. The parents, Angie and David, feel like they have no option but to ask the local lawyer, Martine, for help. This is extra complicated because Angie used to date Martine’s son, Julian, who has to help on the case because he has far more experience in criminal defense than his mother. This all dredges up memories of a terrible tragedy from Angie and Julian’s past.

I feel like I’m going to be in the minority here, but this book wasn’t quite for me. I was already expecting it to be an intense read (which it was), and the writing did a good job at presenting a solemn feel to it. While it started with a sense of mystery about the shooting as well as Angie and Julian’s past, much of the book was slower paced and contemplative without providing direct answers and resolutions. A lot of the book felt like an internal monologue of the various characters, with not a lot of action or dialogue. Most of the characters were flawed, spending a lot of time reflecting on secrets and mistakes from the past. Personally, I felt like I could never completely connect with any of the characters. The book was thought-provoking, exploring topics of forgiveness and moving on, in addition to a critical look at the judiciary system, especially in relation to juveniles. One of the (intended) surprising moments in the book was something I had already been suspecting for a while, though there were still aspects of it that I hadn’t considered. In the end, I think the book just wasn’t quite what I was expecting, so it didn’t keep me as engaged as much as I hoped it would. For the right reader, though, I think the book holds a lot of promise.

Thank you to Celadon Books and BookishFirst for the free review copy of Penitence! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

December 6, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Literary Fiction Paperback 0

Promise Me Sunshine

By Cara Bastone

Coming March 4, 2025

(4 / 5)

Promise Me Sunshine is a romance story that focuses heavily on learning to live through grief. Our protagonist, Lenny, is very much struggling with life after the loss of her best friend to cancer, to the point where she won’t even go home. While at a babysitting job, she meets Miles, who can be a bit rough around the edges but recognizes that Lenny is struggling. Miles has had to deal with grief himself, so he offers to help Lenny. I really enjoyed reading this story and thought it dealt with some very heavy topics well. I liked both of the main characters and thought that their different personalities complimented each other in a way that brought out the best in each other. Lenny and the grief she was dealing with felt very real but also left me with a feeling of hope. The romance is very slow burn, but I really had to respect how Miles navigated Lenny’s grief with her. This was a book that was hard to put down, and I would love to read more by the author!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Dial Press Trade Paperback, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Promise Me Sunshine! All opinions expressed are completely my own.