A Fire Endless: A Book Review

A Fire Endless is a mystical, lyrical conclusion to this wonderful fantasy duology! I've come to love these characters with my whole heart. Their journeys have been heartwarming, and they've really grown through both of these books. 

The world/setting in these books is phenomenal and one that I will remember for a long time. It really makes me feel like I'm living on a Scottish island with them, full of magic and wonder and danger. I loved exploring more of the magic and spirits in this sequel. 

One thing to know about this duology is that it's slow, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It takes its time with the world, characters, and the political plot. It took some time and patience for me to immerse myself in the story, but it was worth it. This duology reads like a fairytale and completely transports you to its world. I will definitely be recommending this in the future!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 3.5
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Avon & Harper Voyager, for the review copy!

Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, death, poisoning, 2 brief open door scenes

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!

Begin Again: A Book Review

This book hit me in all the feels! It is the perfect college coming-of-age story with some tender themes I definitely related to from my college experience. Andie goes to college with a detailed, solid plan of what she wants to do through college and beyond, but plans often change, especially as she discovers new things about herself. (This was exactly me in college.) 

This book also has wonderful friendship growth, family connection, learning how to navigate the academic curve, and a slow-burn adorable romance. The book is relatable in so many ways. I would say it focuses more on Andie's personal journey than romance, but it's still a lovely read that you won't want to put down.

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

Thank you, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for the ARC.

Trigger/Content Warnings: cheating, parent cancer death (off page), parent car wreck death (off page), parent abandonment, kissing

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!

The Maine Attraction: A Book Review

The premise was cute for this book, and I loved how many similarities there were to the movie The Proposal, including a wedding weekend, fake dating, and hate to love. The plot held my attention, and I found myself rooting for the romance. There were some things that took me out of the story though: info dumping, way too many side characters (Ramsey's family was just too big), questionable character choices that didn't make sense to me, cringy writing at times, and a third act that fell flat. However, most of these things I could look over and still enjoy the story. 

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

Thank you, Equality Book Tours and Morgan Gauthier, for the review copy!

Trigger/Content Warnings: one fade to black

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night: A Book Review

The info dumping during the first half of this book killed the mood for me. There was so much history thrown at you, and tons of paragraphs explaining the world, the magic, and the current political climate. It was just too much. It distracted from the characters for me, and I couldn't bring myself to sort through all the information. To be honest, I spent a lot of my time skimming. 

However, this story is unique. It explores some cool ideas with differing magic systems that war against each other. The second half of the book has quite a bit of action too. I can definitely see how lots of people would enjoy this book and spend the time learning about the world and magic. But unfortunately, it didn't click with me. 

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

Thank you, Harper Voyager and NetGalley, for the ARC.

Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, death, kidnapping, kisses

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!

Heart of the Sun Warrior: A Book Review

How do I find the words to convey the beauty and magnificence of this series? This series completely touched my heart and fully surprised me. I haven't read anything like it before! The pacing is fast and tense, the characters have incredible growth throughout, and the writing is perfection in every way. 

Heart of the Sun Warrior did not disappoint. It is a worthy sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess, taking the story to new heights. There are greater consequences and plot twists that create lots of tension. The love triangle is so expertly explored in this book as well; I didn't know which way I was leaning for most of the book. But I think my favorite part was the character growth. Each character had their own things to learn: forgiveness, strength, respect, bravery, overcoming grief, unconditional love. I marked so many passages of life lessons to learn from this book. 

Without a doubt, this is my favorite fantasy series and one I will return to again. PLEASE read this series! Especially if you love Chinese folklore, dragons, hidden identity, well-done love triangles, enchantments, strong family bonds, monster battles, and exquisite writing. 

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

Thank you, Harper Voyager and NetGalley, for the ARC.

Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, death, kidnapping, kisses

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!

A Guide to Just Being Friends: A Book Review

Oh dear. This book was a huge flop for me. Before I go on to list all the things I disliked, I will say that this book had some cute moments, and I liked the unique idea of a salad shop. The end. 

As for the things I couldn't get behind:

- So incredibly boring. Almost all of it felt like day-to-day activities and business conversations that should have been left off page. 

- Zero tension with the romance until about 80%. Seriously. They met, they became friends, and literally nothing was keeping them apart except for their idiocy. 

- Both main characters annoyed me so much. Hailey felt so selfish and prideful to me when she refused all of Wes's gifts, saying he wasn't trying hard enough to "know" what kind of gifts she'd want instead. And Wes was just super vanilla and annoyingly resistant to anything more than friends with benefits. 

- Way too many side characters, and too much focus on them. It felt like the author was trying to make this book into an epilogue for the characters from the previous two books. 

Okay, this list is getting rather long, so I'm going to stop now. Suffice it to say, I did not enjoy this book. 

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 2
Plot/Movement: 2
Character Development: 2
Overall: 2

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Trigger/Content Warnings: fade to black, divorced parents

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!

The Call of the Sea: A Book Review

I liked this book! I love how the story is based on true events and that Sian Ann Bessey put her own spin on it. It's a thrilling murder-mystery type of story with lots of secrets to uncover. It kept my attention pretty easily, and the pacing felt steady and strong. 

Lief isn't an ordinary Viking with his openness to Christianity and disdain for raids, so that came as a surprise to me. It set up the perfect opportunity for an enemies-to-lovers romance with a Cymry girl. However, the romance was very much a subplot. I would have liked more romantic moments between them and more relationship growth shown. The book is labeled as a romance, but the murder-mystery plot was clearly the focus. 

All in all, I think the historical aspect of this book is its strength, but I would have appreciated more Viking grittiness and more romance. But I was still entertained by the story!

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

Thank you, Covenant Communications and NetGalley, for the ARC!

Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, murder, kidnapping, kisses only

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!