The Rom-Commers: A Book Review

There's something in Katherine Center's romcoms that makes me devour them SO fast. The Rom-Commers was no different! I binged this so hard. I never wanted to stop reading it, and even when I had to stop reading, I thought about the characters constantly. I adored this story and its characters.

I loved the setup of two screenwriters writing a romcom together and falling in love along the way! It made for a unique story and the perfect excuse for forced proximity. The two main characters were so vibrant in my mind. I appreciated Emma's wild red hair and her witty, dependable personality. I had a soft spot for Charlie's grumpy but kind demeanor. And I loved the journey they took together discovering what love looked like for them. 

As expected for Katherine Center's book, this book dealt with some tough themes. Emma and Charlie went through some really hard times. But that's what I love about Center's romcoms. The banter and chemistry was delicious, but it was made even more special though the hard times the characters overcame. And while I had some issues with the ending (no spoilers here), I really appreciated this story and would absolutely recommend!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 4.5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for the arc!
Releases June 11, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: death of a parent (recounted), chronic injury, care-taking, cancer (recounted), kisses, near drowning

Romancing the Grump: A Book Review

This romance is so sweet! Jenny Proctor is quickly making herself a queen in the sweet hockey romcom genre with her Appies character series. This book has all the romcom tropes readers love:

- a soft-hearted grump male main character

- a workplace romance

- fake dating

- one bed

- caretaking during sickness

But most of all, I love the communication with the two main characters. There's tons of banter both in person and over text, and they also have some sweet, heartfelt conversations. They are honest with each other, which always makes me love a romance book more. 

My only critiques are that I wanted a bit more tension, maybe in the female main character development or in the side plots. But I think if you're expecting and excited for a fluffy, feel-good romance, Romancing the Grump would be perfect to pick up! It's very binge-able and has an adorable, sweet romance. Don't hesitate on this next Jenny Proctor book!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Jenny Proctor, for the arc!
Releases April 23, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: workplace harassment, death of a parent (recounted), alcoholism, kisses

Savor It: A Book Review

This book is such a sincere and heartfelt romance. I love the opposite worlds the characters come from: small town farm girl and a Michelin-star New York chef. Opposites really attract in this romance, and I love the constant use of open communication throughout their story.

There are so many motifs that make this romance unique (Sage's robes, for example—iykyk). I also like the themes of overcoming work burnout, figuring out how to parent teenagers, small town versus big city, savoring things while they last, and choosing to live a happy life no matter what that looks like to you. I really identified with that last one, and it made me love and appreciate the journeys the characters went on both together and separately. 

My only critique is that the tension did drag a bit for me at some parts, making me want to skim. But overall, I think this romance is special and worth reading. 

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 5
Overall: 4

Thank you, St. Martin's Griffin, for the arc!
Releases May 21, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: death of loved ones (off page), injury, four-ish open door scenes

Fast and Fabulous Knits: A Book Review

Ummm can I make every single pattern in this book?!

Fast and Fabulous Knits by Jaime Doefman was my most anticipated knitting book EVER, and it does not disappoint! Each pattern is so unique, so beautiful, and so versatile. I love how Jaime shows the versatile range of bulky knits, complete with cables, textures, colorwork, and lace! This really is the perfect all-around pattern book for gorgeous, fast knits.

The patterns are all size inclusive, and the instructions are all laid out clearly and beautifully. The photos are bright and fun too. I love flipping through this book, planning future knits! This book is a must have. 

Overall: 5

Congrats to @jaime_creates for such a fabulous book!!
And thank you to Page Street Publishing for the review copy!

A Letter to the Luminous Deep: A Book Review

This incredible book took me completely by surprise. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did! From the beginning, this book pulled me in with its letter format, a tense mystery to solve, and its beautiful (almost academic) writing. The story, the world, the writing, and the characters were all utterly unique to me, and I was intrigued all the way through.

Sometimes there's a risk in writing all letters—risk of losing important information not included in letters, risk of readers' boredom, etc. However, Sylvie Cathrall is an absolute expert in how she manages the format. There's extensive world building to understand, and she utilizes letters to do it in a practical way. I also found the tension to be strong throughout with gathering evidence towards solving a mystery. And the characters! I love that we got all their points of view through letters.

This first book in the series sets itself up for massive potential. It has all the science-academia vibes with a breathtaking underwater world and a hint of fantasy/sci-fi/dystopian all rolled into one. There truly is no other book like this one! I can see how some people wouldn't like it with its more formal, academic writing and slow set-up. But if you give it a chance, it has the chance to captivate you and take you for an unforgettable ride.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Orbit, for the arc!
Releases April 23, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: near drowning, tense underwater scenes, death of family members

The Outlaw Noble Salt: A Book Review

I think this book was written just for me. 

Growing up, I never forgot that I lived in what used to be the Wild West, thanks to my cowboy grandpa and his love for Mormon history, wild west stories, Butch Cassidy, and Native Americans. He told endless stories and wrote scores of fiction books about the wild frontier, so I like to think these stories are somehow imprinted in me too. 

The Outlaw Noble Salt combines my ancestral history, my ceaseless love and fascination with the wild west, and my current love for romances and books that make me cry. I was enthralled with every chapter, and I have a deep love for each character in this book. I feel so grateful to have spent time with these characters and to never forget them. 

The plot, though not full of train and bank robberies, holds its own heart-stopping tension. I was so stressed through this book, wondering how everything would work out. Amy Harmon isn't afraid of addressing difficult subjects and creating a torrent of emotions for the reader. But true to her style, I trust her endings. And this book had the perfect ending I think it could have had. But that didn't stop me from sobbing.

This is without a doubt my favorite Amy Harmon book so far. It touched me in a deeply personal way, and reminded me of hiding in my grandpa's barn with the horses, reading his wild west stories and wondering what it would be like to have nothing but a horse, a saddlebag, a dream, and wide open space. I love this book with my whole heart.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Amy Harmon, for the arc!

Releases April 9, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: fighting violence and death, swearing, miscarriage, sexual abuse recounted, two vague open door scenes

Knitting Light: A Book Review

With spring and summer approaching, I've been wanting to knit lighter tops, but it can be hard to find ones I like on Ravelry and Instagram. This book came at a perfect time!

There is such great variety of tops, tees, and tanks in this book. There's something for every knitter's style here. I also love the attention Marie Greene gives to types of yarn that are best to use for warmer weather, and how to achieve a great fit.

The book is organized well into three different pattern sections: Lace Details, Texture & Color, and Minimalist Designs. The patterns themselves are clearly written, are size inclusive, and have lots of tips and stitch count check-ins.

I can definitely see myself making several of these tops for spring and summer, and I think it's a great staple book for knitters in warmer climates!

Thank you, Page Street Publishing, for the review copy!

Cable Knit Style: A Book Review

If you’re a cable knitter, this book would be PERFECT for you. Every single design in this book is stunning. There’s cable pullovers, tees, cardigans—any kind of top you’re looking for!

The organization of this book is more theme-based rather than garment type. It has the following sections: fashion forward, oversized & chunky, simple & clean, and light & breathable. The simple & clean section is my favorite, but I can see myself making something from all of the sections.

The patterns are size inclusive, include schematics and construction notes, and have clear charts. I like how it clearly identifies yarn weight too, instead of listing a yarn I’ve never heard of. It also has a technique section with detailed, full-color photos.

All in all, this is a beautiful and useful book. I think it’s great for the advanced beginner and beyond who loves cable knitting!

Thank you, Page Street Publishing, for the review copy!

Queen of Shifting Sands: A Book Review

This book has all the elements of a fantasy I love: a desert setting, forced-proximity romance, secrets to uncover, hidden identity, and political tension. And have you seen the cover?! It's no surprise that this was one of my most anticipated releases this year. 

Right away, this book starts out with a ton of tension. Lystra's whole world turns upside down, and I appreciated her journey with feeling her grief but also leaning on her strength for the good of her people. I love loyal, strong characters. Elerek's world also turns upside down, and I love his underdog story. I also appreciate how different he is from other male main characters in other books with being in a wheelchair and being untouchable from his curse. His trials add a deeper layer of complexity to the plot and the romance. 

Overall, I think this is a great debut. The tension did drag a bit in the middle, and I do wish there was more romance (Elerek being untouchable did not help the romance lol). I hope there's more romance to come in the next book. Otherwise, I love the writing style, world building, and unique characters. I can't wait to see where the next book leads us, especially after that cliffhanger ending!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Whimsical Publishing, for the gifted ebook!

Releases March 12, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: fighting violence and death

A Feather So Black: A Book Review

What I loved most about this book is its atmosphere. It has a lot of One Dark Window vibes mixed with a similar plot with Swan Lake. I'm always on the lookout for a good Swan Lake retelling, so I loved that the plot centered around this! I also liked how all the characters had secrets. It gave the story some good tension. 

Unfortunately, I didn't love the pacing. Nothing much happened. The action scenes were few and far between. The pacing felt disjointed with the characters entering the fae world only once a month for a night, and then all they did was talk. And even with all the talking, I feel like there should have been more reveals and more clarity on the fae world and its history. I got too confused with the info dumps. 

As for the characters, I found Fia to be an interesting character who's battling a nature versus nurture aspect of herself. But I didn't like how her love triangle (maybe love square?) developed. I usually enjoy love triangles, but this one felt weird and awkward. Alas, this wasn't the book for me.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 3
Overall: 3

Thank you, Orbit, for the arc!

Releases March 12, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, mild self harm, child abuse, child kidnapping, a few open door scenes

A Story Spun in Scarlet: A Book Review

No one is more surprised than I am. I really, really wanted to like this. I've heard such great things about Dugan's books, and almost everyone I know loves this book! I just didn't click with the writing style. There are tons of long-winded, flowery descriptions for even the most basic things. It repeatedly pulled me out of the story and put me to sleep a couple times. I also thought some of the sentence structure was really confusing, and I had to reread at times. I also struggled with the pacing of the action scenes. The stories told during the action gave me whiplash, and I had trouble switching from the story in italics to the characters' actions. As a result of struggling through the writing, I didn't feel any empathy towards the characters and their goals. 

Obviously, I am the odd one out with this book, so take my review for a grain of salt. I'm DNFing it for now.

A Knitter's Year: A Book Review

A Knitter's Year is without a doubt the prettiest knitting book I own. I love how the patterns are separated into seasons, making it super easy to find the style of pattern I want. The pictures are whimsical and lush, perfectly highlighting distinguishing features of each knit. The patterns seem to be clearly written as well.

I’ll update this review once I try a few patterns!

Thank you, Search Press, for the review copy!

This Could Be Us: A Book Review

I liked this one even more than Before I Let Go! The plot gets incredibly tense right away, with high stakes and an interesting set up with the enemy-like relationship of the main characters. I could barely put it down with all the plot and romantic tension!

I also appreciated the autism rep with Judah's sons, and Soledad's realistic relationship growth with her daughters through tough times. I can always count on Kennedy Ryan to explore tough subjects within realistic families and circumstances. And there's always an undercurrent of hope and trust and growing through hard times.

My only critique for this book is I got impatient with Soledad's growth. I appreciated her journey of self love in the beginning, but I felt like it carried on for a bit too long. This is just my opinion though!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Forever, for the arc!

Releases March 5, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: swearing, cheating, cancer, divorce, multiple open door

A Heart Sufficient: A Book Review

Whatever I was expecting for this book, I didn't expect the utter BEAUTY and DEPTH of this romance. Oh my goodness, my heart. This is one of the best romances I've ever read that shows true maturity, true growth, and the true meaning of love. I just want to give this book and its characters the biggest, warmest hug.

What I love most is the story's focus on the male POV. Even though we have Isolde's POV too, Tristan's growth is forefront, and being in his head through his villain phase and beyond is a true gift. I don't think I've ever read a romance with the series villain being a main character, but Nichole Van blew this story out of the water. I highly recommend reading her earlier books to get the full view of Tristan's past, all leading up to a beautiful end in A Heart Sufficient.

I'll always remember the beauty of this story, with the greatest character growth in a romance I've ever read. And the chemistry in Tristan and Isolde's romance is UNPARALLELED. Goosebumps all over my body. I will be rereading this book over and over again. It's a true masterpiece. 

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Nichole Van, for the arc!

Releases February 7, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: mild swearing, closed door