How am I SO terrible at remembering to post reviews?! I am going to blame it on it being my last semester in my program and having 12ish hour days EVERY DAY. So now I am posting reviews in bulk, and reminding myself what it is I actually read. So enjoy this long thing! I am going to hope that I change my ways and actually post on time, but, I am not confident. So thank you for bearing with me as well!
It is going to be Overall Publisher, Imprint, Title and Author, then review (just for ease of reading). All of these books I did receive copies of from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
ENTANGLED
Entangled Teen
Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim
What to even say about this book? It is a beautiful, magical, addictive book with Korean mythology at its core, while being a completely unique experience that was so incredibly enjoyable to read. It was a little difficult for me to get into, but once I got hooked, I was hooked. I loved getting to learn what the rules were for this world, watch the characters develop, and try to figure out what would happen next. The fierce loyalty of Shin Lina, the games of the Dokkaebi, and the evil of man were all a powerful combination to make me fall in love with this book. I cannot wait for book two, and I cannot recommend this book enough if you are trying to diversify your readings.
Red Tower Books
Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1) by Rebecca Yarros
OH MY GOD THIS BOOK! I am not usually a big fan of war college/dystopia/fighting heavy books, but this book is freaking amazing. This book is being hyped and for good reason. I was very lucky and received a PR box for this book and let me tell you, I could not put this book down. It is over 500 pages, and each page is just as captivating as the last. This book has everything you could want in a new adult fantasy book, with dragons, intrigue, a friend turned villain, a villain turned lover, SPICY SCENES, and a kick-ass heroine that has an invisible illness like one I have. I am very excited to see where the story goes in book two and follow these characters even more.
Amara
Anger Bang by Avery Flynn
I love Avery Flynn’s books, and I always jump at the chance to read one (I am also working through her back catalogue as we speak), but I think this was a good reminder that you don’t have to love everything an author has ever wrote – not everything is going to be for you! Unfortunately, this book was not for me, and I struggled to read through it. It had a lot of Avery’s signature snark and humor, which is what I love, and it has spicy scenes like her other books, but the ratio of relationship building to spice was not the best for me to read and enjoy. Now this is definitely a personal preference, but I need relationships to be based on more than just good sex, and I need to see that there is a reason that these two people are together. It doesn’t have to be full slow burn, but I need to see some kind of development between the two characters for me to believe it makes sense that they like each other. I understand that this book started due to an “Anger Bang” (which, I realize was the title but was also used an extensive amount as a phrase throughout the book) but it never really felt like they had any reason to keep talking to each other, other than sex. Maybe this is a realistic relationship development between non-Ace/Demi people but for me it just seemed too improbable.
Will I continue to read everything Avery writes? Absolutely. But this was a reminder for me (and hopefully I can remind you), that you don’t need to like 100% of an author’s work to like the author. Books have many audiences and I was not it for this one.
You’ve Been Served by Kristen Alicia
This book was fun and I am really happy I had the chance to read it. I graduated from law school in December of 2019 and this book was an enjoyable way for me to get to experience the stress and anxiety of law school again without actually having to live it. My poor partner had to go through law school with me, and so I was able to share this book with him when it was something he would understand/appreciate – law school inside jokes are a real thing, you have to live it to get it at times. I don’t know if I will pick up this book to reread again any time soon, but it was a nice escape, which is what I tend to read for. I hope people who are in law school can take a break (ha!) and read this because I am sure it would have been even more fun if I read it while I was still in school. I’d be interested in reading more things by Kristen Alicia for sure.
ST. MARTIN’S PRESS
Wednesday Books
The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill
This book was really enjoyable – once I got into it; it took a little time for me to find the groove of reading it but once I did, I had a hard time putting it down. To the point that for a few weeks after finishing it I kept thinking about it, thinking I needed to finish it, or that there was more to the story. The blurb on NetGalley is “Bridgerton meets Illuminae in this explosive, romantic space opera where danger and deception lurk behind glamour and wealth.” While I have never read or watched either of these things, it was intriguing enough for me to want to read, and I’m so glad I did. The main character drove me nuts at times – but it was completely worth it. There was love and espionage, death and mystery, and a mysterious benefactor. Vika is a strong character, and I loved Sky & his development. I would love to read another book in this world, or just another book that Cristin has written. This was definitely worth the slow build that it was to get into this book.
St. Martin’s Griffin
Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn
I think this book has solidified my love for Erin Hahn and her writing. I don’t think it was really a question, but it is nice to have confirmation. This book is a companion to her adult romance Built to Last, following Lorelai Jones and her attempt to come back to the country music scene after an “incident,” as well as Craig Boseman who has been with her through thick and thin, with a secret crush on Lorelai and a thriving record label. This book focuses on music, finding oneself, and being true to who you are, consequences be damned. Plus, it has some spicy scenes and a really lovely friends-to-lovers romance. This book touches on important political issues, specifically the massive gun & school shooting we have here in the U.S. While there is no gun violence on page, it is important to note that it exists in case this is something that can be triggering for you to read. This book is sweet, it’s spicy, and it calls out some of the hypocrisy that we have here in the US, especially with country music/conservatives. This book is an easy read, since it is captivating and well written, but nothing about it feels forced. I will probably reread this book again when it is officially published, as well as anything else Erin puts out. Erin has become one of my insta-buy authors and I am not mad at it. 5/5
On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe
What Not to Wear and Queer Eye meeting All the Feels (an amazing book by Olivia Dade – check it out!) where the makeovers are for plus-sized folx? Fantastic, sign me up. Having Jenny’s debut book I was excited for this one, though a little hesitant since her debut didn’t quite hit all the marks for me, but this is the perfect example of authors growing, different topics hitting better for some folx than others, and not writing off authors based on one title. While it is completely fine to say that “I didn’t like X book by author, so I am not going to read Y book” (and I have done this exact thing), I am so glad I didn’t do that for this book. This book follows Everly as she finds her confidence and voice in a world that has done everything it can to shut it down. She is relatable and a well-rounded character, and the cast of characters that surround her are also diverse and interesting. I love Queer Eye and What Not to Wear, and this book took the parts of those shows I love & fixed/addressed the things that rub the wrong way. It is an easy read, making it hard to put down, but nothing feels overly rushed. This is a book of someone finding out who they are in the midst of the world trying to dull their shine. I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait for others to get to read it when it comes out!
HARPER COLLINS
HarperTeen
Breakup from Hell by Ann Davila Cardinal
I have SUCH mixed feelings about this book. I wanted to like this book very badly, since the concept is fun and different, is non-white lead, and is a romantic comedy but also suspense book. Unfortunately, it did not satisfy any of the wishes I had for it, and in fact was incredibly frustrating to read. This book was just very overly religious and none of the characters had any dimension to them in a way that made them redeemable or enjoyable to read about. Highlights of this book were some really funny lines, and it wasn’t the MOST predictable, but that was about it. I am not Christian and so maybe that was part of it? I don’t know. It was just very religious in a way that made me uncomfortable, and I didn’t understand some of the connections it was making – which could be because I’m not Christian, or it could be that it wasn’t being explained well. I appreciate the reviewer who mentioned the animal abuse in their review and I happened to see it because this book has ON THE PAGE animal abuse. So, Trigger Warning: ANIMAL ABUSE and religiosity. This is listed as a romantic comedy but the romance aspect of the book was close to non-existent and a bit forced. It is much more of a Christian horror novel than anything else. I didn’t understand why these characters ended up liking each other, besides the fact they were just there? I think this book was really just not for me. I will possibly pick up some of the other books by Ann at some point, because I did really like the concept, but this book did not live up to what I was hoping it would be.
TLDR: animal abuse, religiosity, and Christian horror is what this book is and it was not for me.
Sense and Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price
To preface this review – I have never read Jane Austen, I don’t intend to read Jane Austen, and I love reading remakes of classics but half the time they fall flat for me. This absolutely did not fall flat! I loved that it was written in “modern speak” enough that I was able to understand what was going on without having to think excessively about the language being used, but that it still felt very reminiscent of the time period it takes place in. I enjoyed being able to get a few different perspectives throughout the book, and the mystery was captivating – if at times obvious. I am curious how closely aligned the characters were to their source content considering this is a twist on the original book. Does this make me want to read Sense and Sensibility? Maybe. More than I did before I read this book. It was a fun murder mystery time, thats for sure.
AVON/HARPER VOYAGER
Avon Publishing
Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane
I am pretty sure this was my first book by this author, and it was quite the interesting start to her work. This is a romance book, but it wasn’t a romance book. This book was more about the relationships between the characters, the character development, and the secrets that they held. Harriet, the main character, is an anti-commitment wedding planner, in a long-term relationship that she doesn’t care about, and trauma/abuse history that she has buried down & is ignoring. The male lead is Cal, who is pro-love/pro-wedding, but is single after his wedding is called off and is trying to find his way back to what he wants. The unlikely duo ends up living in the same place (Cal rents a room to Harriet), and secrets start to be uncovered, and they seem more deeply connected than was originally thought. This book is women’s fiction, not romance, and the difference is subtle but there. It is deeply about the character interactions/relationships and their development and not so much about the romance. One of the main things I thought of with this book is that it feels very much like the miscommunication trope, and that if people just talked about their feelings/problems, so much would have been resolved. I don’t know how I feel about this book overall, but I think I would be open to reading other things this author has…. maybe. This just might not be for me and that is okay. If you like very realistic, character heavy books, this is good for you, and I recommend you pick it up.
FLATIRON BOOKS
Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean
I enjoyed this follow-up to Tokyo Ever After, but I did have a little bit of a harder time getting into it than I did the first book. Things I love about these books: they are VERY reminiscent of The Princess Diaries (which is a books series I haven’t read but I did enjoy the movie, for what that’s worth), and it has a level of predictability that is comforting while still being unique. I loved being able to read these books with Japanese words integrated throughout without having to overcomplicate the explanations for them. Overall, they gave me a warm feeling while reading. I did think they were a bit overly predictable at times, but I also have read a lot of books and there are only so many tropes you can use. If there is a new book in the universe, I would gladly read it, but I am also happy ending it here.
LITTLE, BROWN BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
Sometime in Summer by Katrina Leno
This was a very different book than I have read recently or was expecting it to be. I think this book would technically be middle grade as opposed to YA, but I think it can comfortably be in both categories. This book follows Anna Lucia Bell the summer she turns 14 and has her life even more up ended than it was the year before. Anna believes in luck and feels like she has VERY bad luck; 13 was the year of her parents divorce and losing her best friend (not death, just no longer friends). She doesn’t feel like 14 is going to be much better, considering it starts with her mom telling her that the bookstore she grew up in (family business) is being sold and they are going to spend the next month on the east coast in her great-aunts house that her mom inherited. This was a slow building book – it took a long time for me to feel like I was getting into the story, and it didn’t feel like a lot was happening for a while. This is a super personal problem, but I found the main character really stubborn and childish at times, which made it hard for me to read. I do realize she is 14 so it made sense – she really was acting her age – but I had a harder time with it, but this is not a reason to NOT read this book. It had a fun *twist* and I think it had a really nice ending. I am glad I read it, even if it isn’t going to be a book I go back to.