Mini Thoughts
Hello, all!
Wreck the Halls- Tessa Bailey: Despite meeting only once when they were sixteen, Beat Dawkins and Melody Gallard have always been a part of each other's lives. Their mothers fronted one of the biggest rock groups of the '90s, and rumors of their feud and break-up still swirl around the internet. Beat and Melody have spent their lives hounded by people wanting to know the truth, and it seems like the wait is over. When a producer offers Beat a lot of money to sign on to a reality TV show reuniting his and Melody's mothers for a Christmas performance, he's hard-pressed to say no, but he won't do it without Melody. Melody isn't one for the spotlight but is willing to put her anxieties aside to help Beat. Neither are prepared for the media frenzy that follows or that more people seem interested in Beat and Melody's raging attraction than seeing Steel Birds reunite. But dredging up the past means bringing long-buried secrets to light that have the potential to ruin everything.
You can always count on Bailey to have a male love interest who is 100% obsessed with the main character, and this was no exception. Beat and Melody spent about five minutes together when they were sixteen, and the dude has been harboring a protective desire for her ever since. Don't get me wrong, who doesn't swoon over a guy who is helplessly in love with the main character? But I don't think it fully worked here. The storyline takes place over about two weeks, and I didn't feel that was enough time to develop the relationship. Everything just felt so rushed. They did have insane chemistry, and it was cute how they were both in love with each other for years, but I wanted more emotional depth. We got there eventually, but again, it just felt rushed. I also thought everything about the reality show they were filming felt far-fetched. Still, it was entertaining, and I think fans of Bailey will eat this up.
Forget Me Not- Julie Soto: For someone who doesn't believe in marriage, Ama Torres loves her job as a wedding planner. She loves giving others the wedding of their dreams, and her small business is about to make a big name for itself when Ama scores the wedding of a lifetime. Ama couldn't be more excited to work the wedding for a social media influencer, but there's one hiccup-- Elliot Bloom. When Elliot first inherited his family's flower shop, he hated it. He wanted to be an architect, not a florist, but somewhere along the way, he grew to love his job. He doesn't love working with his ex-girlfriend who turned him down after he proposed two years ago. Ama is determined to make this wedding work, but Elliot is still as handsome as ever, and it doesn't help that the two brides mistake his grumpiness for flirtation and keep trying to set them up. It's clear the pair still has feelings for one another, but can they make it work the second time around?
I've seen this floating around the internet lately, so I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I thought it was cute, but it didn't wow me. I liked the idea of this wedding planner who doesn't believe in marriage falling for this grumpy florist. It's such a cute concept. There's nothing I enjoy more than a grumpy love interest, and Elliot fits the bill perfectly. As for Ama, I liked her, but there was something about her that rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not sure why, but it took me a while to warm up to her. I felt the same way about the relationship between her and Elliot. It was okay, but I thought it relied too much on physical attraction, and I would've liked to have seen more emotional depth. I also thought it would be more prominent in the storyline, but it felt like more of a subplot. Despite that, I liked Soto's writing style and flew through this in one sitting, and would still recommend it if you like second-chance romances.
The Hurricane Wars- Thea Guanzon: All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. She was orphaned as a young girl but has found family amongst the other soldiers fighting for freedom against the tyrannical Night Emperor. Talasyn will do whatever it takes to protect her country, but in doing so, she must keep her true nature as a Lightweaver--someone who can channel the power of light--a secret. But when she meets Alalric, the heir to the Night Emperor and a shadow wielder, on the battlefield, their powers merge, creating a force never seen before. Soon, despite their misgivings, the pair are thrust into an uneasy alliance. With a larger threat on the horizon, Talasyn and Alaric know the key to stopping it lies within their strange new magic. But will the tension between them save their world or doom it?
This book is so Reylo coded it's insane. I didn't realize that going in, but then it was all I could see. I even pictured the main characters as Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver. The entire thing felt a bit Star Wars-esque. Being a fan of that franchise, you would think I'd eat this book up, but that wasn't the case. It was good, but something was lacking. It took me a while to find my footing in the story because you're just dumped right into the middle of a battle with no explanation. The world-building and lore could've been expanded, especially the magic system. The pacing also felt wonky as the first half felt chaotic, but it fizzled and became almost boring. I enjoyed all the cultural elements woven throughout, and the banter between Talasyn and Alaric. Their relationship didn't wow me, but their interactions made me chuckle. While it's not a new favorite, I'm interested enough to pick up the next book when it comes out.
An Unexpected Ally- Sophia Kouidou-Giles: Circe is a powerful sorceress living on the remote island of Aeaea. For the past year, Circe has been joined on her island by Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his men, but now the time has come for them to continue their journey home. Circe is sad to see Odysseus leave, but soon her eye is turned by the amphibian god Glaucus. When her mother, Perse, convinces her to seek out Glaucus, the pair head off. Circe has always had a strained relationship with her mother but is glad for her involvement once she meets Glaucus. Circe believes that things between them are going well, with her sharing her vast knowledge of herbs, but Circe can tell Skylla, a local girl, has captured Glaucus's attention. Circe eventually returns to Aeaea, but soon learns of trouble brewing back in Delos, and it's up to her to set it to rights.
As soon as I hear "Greek mythology retelling," I'm sold. The story of Circe is one of my favorites, which also piqued my interest. It felt like a fresh take on the story and included characters I hadn't seen portrayed before. That was a point in its favor as it helped set it apart from the myriad other retellings. I liked the dynamic between Circe and Skylla and seeing their relationship grow throughout the story. I also liked the pacing. Nothing felt like it dragged, and it was full of adventurous moments that kept me hooked. My only minor issue was that the writing felt clunky at times, but overall, I thought this was a solid read.
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| Pub Date: 10-3-23 Adult - Contemporary |
Wreck the Halls- Tessa Bailey: Despite meeting only once when they were sixteen, Beat Dawkins and Melody Gallard have always been a part of each other's lives. Their mothers fronted one of the biggest rock groups of the '90s, and rumors of their feud and break-up still swirl around the internet. Beat and Melody have spent their lives hounded by people wanting to know the truth, and it seems like the wait is over. When a producer offers Beat a lot of money to sign on to a reality TV show reuniting his and Melody's mothers for a Christmas performance, he's hard-pressed to say no, but he won't do it without Melody. Melody isn't one for the spotlight but is willing to put her anxieties aside to help Beat. Neither are prepared for the media frenzy that follows or that more people seem interested in Beat and Melody's raging attraction than seeing Steel Birds reunite. But dredging up the past means bringing long-buried secrets to light that have the potential to ruin everything.
You can always count on Bailey to have a male love interest who is 100% obsessed with the main character, and this was no exception. Beat and Melody spent about five minutes together when they were sixteen, and the dude has been harboring a protective desire for her ever since. Don't get me wrong, who doesn't swoon over a guy who is helplessly in love with the main character? But I don't think it fully worked here. The storyline takes place over about two weeks, and I didn't feel that was enough time to develop the relationship. Everything just felt so rushed. They did have insane chemistry, and it was cute how they were both in love with each other for years, but I wanted more emotional depth. We got there eventually, but again, it just felt rushed. I also thought everything about the reality show they were filming felt far-fetched. Still, it was entertaining, and I think fans of Bailey will eat this up.
Rating: 3/5
*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!
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| Pub Date: 7-11-23 Adult - Contemporary |
Forget Me Not- Julie Soto: For someone who doesn't believe in marriage, Ama Torres loves her job as a wedding planner. She loves giving others the wedding of their dreams, and her small business is about to make a big name for itself when Ama scores the wedding of a lifetime. Ama couldn't be more excited to work the wedding for a social media influencer, but there's one hiccup-- Elliot Bloom. When Elliot first inherited his family's flower shop, he hated it. He wanted to be an architect, not a florist, but somewhere along the way, he grew to love his job. He doesn't love working with his ex-girlfriend who turned him down after he proposed two years ago. Ama is determined to make this wedding work, but Elliot is still as handsome as ever, and it doesn't help that the two brides mistake his grumpiness for flirtation and keep trying to set them up. It's clear the pair still has feelings for one another, but can they make it work the second time around?
I've seen this floating around the internet lately, so I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I thought it was cute, but it didn't wow me. I liked the idea of this wedding planner who doesn't believe in marriage falling for this grumpy florist. It's such a cute concept. There's nothing I enjoy more than a grumpy love interest, and Elliot fits the bill perfectly. As for Ama, I liked her, but there was something about her that rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not sure why, but it took me a while to warm up to her. I felt the same way about the relationship between her and Elliot. It was okay, but I thought it relied too much on physical attraction, and I would've liked to have seen more emotional depth. I also thought it would be more prominent in the storyline, but it felt like more of a subplot. Despite that, I liked Soto's writing style and flew through this in one sitting, and would still recommend it if you like second-chance romances.
Rating: 3/5
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| Pub Date: 10-3-23 YA - Fantasy |
The Hurricane Wars- Thea Guanzon: All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. She was orphaned as a young girl but has found family amongst the other soldiers fighting for freedom against the tyrannical Night Emperor. Talasyn will do whatever it takes to protect her country, but in doing so, she must keep her true nature as a Lightweaver--someone who can channel the power of light--a secret. But when she meets Alalric, the heir to the Night Emperor and a shadow wielder, on the battlefield, their powers merge, creating a force never seen before. Soon, despite their misgivings, the pair are thrust into an uneasy alliance. With a larger threat on the horizon, Talasyn and Alaric know the key to stopping it lies within their strange new magic. But will the tension between them save their world or doom it?
This book is so Reylo coded it's insane. I didn't realize that going in, but then it was all I could see. I even pictured the main characters as Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver. The entire thing felt a bit Star Wars-esque. Being a fan of that franchise, you would think I'd eat this book up, but that wasn't the case. It was good, but something was lacking. It took me a while to find my footing in the story because you're just dumped right into the middle of a battle with no explanation. The world-building and lore could've been expanded, especially the magic system. The pacing also felt wonky as the first half felt chaotic, but it fizzled and became almost boring. I enjoyed all the cultural elements woven throughout, and the banter between Talasyn and Alaric. Their relationship didn't wow me, but their interactions made me chuckle. While it's not a new favorite, I'm interested enough to pick up the next book when it comes out.
Rating: 3/5
*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!
 |
| Pub Date: 10-3-23 Adult - Retelling |
An Unexpected Ally- Sophia Kouidou-Giles: Circe is a powerful sorceress living on the remote island of Aeaea. For the past year, Circe has been joined on her island by Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his men, but now the time has come for them to continue their journey home. Circe is sad to see Odysseus leave, but soon her eye is turned by the amphibian god Glaucus. When her mother, Perse, convinces her to seek out Glaucus, the pair head off. Circe has always had a strained relationship with her mother but is glad for her involvement once she meets Glaucus. Circe believes that things between them are going well, with her sharing her vast knowledge of herbs, but Circe can tell Skylla, a local girl, has captured Glaucus's attention. Circe eventually returns to Aeaea, but soon learns of trouble brewing back in Delos, and it's up to her to set it to rights.
As soon as I hear "Greek mythology retelling," I'm sold. The story of Circe is one of my favorites, which also piqued my interest. It felt like a fresh take on the story and included characters I hadn't seen portrayed before. That was a point in its favor as it helped set it apart from the myriad other retellings. I liked the dynamic between Circe and Skylla and seeing their relationship grow throughout the story. I also liked the pacing. Nothing felt like it dragged, and it was full of adventurous moments that kept me hooked. My only minor issue was that the writing felt clunky at times, but overall, I thought this was a solid read.
Rating: 3/5
*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!
So many 3 stars! I want to read Wreck the Halls (closer to Christmas season) and Forget Me Not. I've been in such a romance mode lately!
ReplyDeleteI just bought Wreck the Halls. I normally don't buy Holiday romance books, but wanted to read at least one this year.
ReplyDelete