Category: awesomeness

Book Review:  This Vicious Grace, by Emily Thiede

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   This Vicious Grace   
Author: Emily Thiede
Genre: YA, fantasy  
Rating:  5 out of 5

Three weddings. Three funerals. Alessa’s gift from the gods is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill every suitor she touches.

Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find a partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island’s only hope, her own soldiers try to assassinate her.

Desperate to survive, Alessa hires Dante, a cynical outcast marked as a killer, to become her personal bodyguard. But as rebellion explodes outside the gates, Dante’s dark secrets may be the biggest betrayal. He holds the key to her survival and her heart, but is he the one person who can help her master her gift or destroy her once and for all?

This was such a fantastic read! Alessa’s snark is so much fun—and it only gets better when Dante shows up. I really loved their interactions and banter. The world and culture were quite unique to me, and, while it isn’t really a culture I’d want to live in—or visit—the world-building was vividly realized and fascinating to read. I highly recommend this, and I can’t wait to read what happens next.

Emily Thiede lives in Virginia. This Vicious Grace is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour:  Here for the Drama, by Kate Bromley

Image belongs to Harlequin,

Title:  Here for the Drama  
Author:   Kate Bromley
Genre:  Romance
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Becoming a famous playwright is all Winnie ever dreamed about. For now, though, she’ll have to settle for assisting the celebrated, sharp-witted feminist playwright Juliette Brassard. When an experimental theater company in London, England, decides to stage Juliette’s most renowned play, The Lights of Trafalgar, Winnie and Juliette pack their bags and hop across the pond.

But the trip goes sideways faster than you can say “tea and crumpets.” Juliette stubbornly butts heads with the play’s director and Winnie is left stage-managing their relationship. Meanwhile, Winnie’s own work seems to have stalled, and though Juliette keeps promising to read it, she always has some vague reason why she can’t. Then, Juliette’s nephew, Liam, enters stage left. He’s handsome, he’s smart, he is devastatingly British…and his family ties to Juliette pose a serious problem, forcing Winnie to keep their burgeoning relationship on the down-low. What could go wrong?

Balancing a production seemingly headed for disaster, a secret romance and the sweetest, most rambunctious rescue dog, will Winnie save the play, make her own dreams come true and find love along the way—or will the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune get the best of her?

Winnie’s dramatics made me laugh so many times while reading this! Normally, people who go looking for drama get on my nerves, but her heart was in the right place, so I actually enjoyed her antics. The repartee between her and Liam was spot-on, and I couldn’t wait to see where their banter went next. Juliette was a bit much for me, and I don’t know how Winnie put up with her. Even the secondary characters in this novel—like Oscar—were a delight. This is a great vacation read—or work day escape.

Kate Bromley lives in New York City. Here for the Drama is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:   Nora Goes Off Script, by Annabel Monaghan

Image belongs to Penguin Group Putnam.

Title:    Nora Goes Off Script
Author:   Annabel Monaghan
Genre:    Romance
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Nora’s life is about to get a rewrite…

Nora Hamilton knows the formula for love better than anyone. As a romance channel screenwriter, it’s her job. But when her too-good-to work husband leaves her and their two kids, Nora turns her marriage’s collapse into cash and writes the best script of her life. No one is more surprised than her when it’s picked up for the big screen and set to film on location at her 100-year-old-home. When former Sexiest Man Alive, Leo Vance, is cast as her ne’er do well husband Nora’s life will never be the same.

The morning after shooting wraps and the crew leaves, Nora finds Leo on her porch with a half-empty bottle of tequila and a proposition. He’ll pay a thousand dollars a day to stay for a week. The extra seven grand would give Nora breathing room, but it’s the need in his eyes that makes her say yes. Seven days: it’s the blink of an eye or an eternity depending on how you look at it. Enough time to fall in love. Enough time to break your heart.

I really enjoyed this! I found Nora’s voice to be eminently relatable and hysterically funny. Her reactions were priceless and almost exactly what I’d have done myself. This was sweet and snarky, emotional and believable, and I binge-read it in one go!

Annabel Monaghan lives in New York. Nora Goes Off Script is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Penguin Group Putnam in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #176

This was an excellent writing week! I wrote four book reviews and also my May reading post and the best books I read in May. I think I’ve reached the light at the end of the tunnel as far as my work schedule goes, and I’m feeling drawn to start thinking about fiction again, so I’m very happy.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in May (2022)

In May, I read 16 books, bringing my total for the year to 98 (I’m a tiny bit behind schedule). I also DNFed 6 books. Of the 16 books I finished, three of them were really excellent.

A Perilous Perspective, by Anna Lee Huber. This is the 10th Lady Darby Mystery, and I loved it as much as I loved the other books in the series. The characters are just so well-done, and I love the setting and the premise, too.

The Black Witch, by Laurie Forest. This was a re-read of a novel that I’d somehow forgotten about. I loved this book when I read it the first time, and it popped into my head recently, so I picked it up again. Incredible world-building and cultures, and it’s just all-around excellent.

Part of Your World, by Abby Jimenez. This had me laughing from the very first page, and it didn’t stop. A quick, fun read with loads of humor.

Book Review: Part of Your World, by Abby Jimenez

Image belongs to Forever.

Title:    Part of Your World
Author:    Abby Jimenez
Genre:    Romance
Rating:  5 out of 5

After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.

While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

I have to tell you:  this book made me laugh out loud many times. The dry wit, the easy banter, the sheer chutzpah of some of these characters was an absolute joy to read. I think I started laughing out loud about three minutes in, and it really never totally stopped. I binge-read the entire thing in one late-night sitting. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up immediately. Your abs will thank you.

Abby Jimenez is a bestselling author. Part of Your World is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Forever in exchange for an honest review.)

The Best Books I Read in April (2022)

In April, I only read 10 books. My work schedule was absolutely nuts, and there were family things going on, too, so no time to read or write. I thought two of the ten were really good:

The Might, by Siri Petterson. I thought this trilogy was absolutely fantastic, and I’d happily read more in a hot second! The characters and world-building are both relatable and phenomenal, and I couldn’t put it down. All the stars!

This May End Badly, by Samantha Markum. Okay, the main character was kind of a jerk at times, but she at least learned from it and began to actually care about what other people wanted–not just herself. And the love interest wad absolutely adorable.

Book Review:  This May End Badly, by Samantha Markum

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books.

Title:   This May End Badly
Author:   Samantha Markum
Genre:   YA
Rating:  5 out of 5

Pranking mastermind Doe and her motley band of Weston girls are determined to win the century-long war against Winfield Academy before the clock ticks down on their senior year. But when their headmistress announces that The Weston School will merge with its rival the following year, their longtime feud spirals into chaos.

To protect the school that has been her safe haven since her parents’ divorce, Doe puts together a plan to prove once and for all that Winfield boys and Weston girls just don’t mix, starting with a direct hit at Three, Winfield’s boy king and her nemesis. In a desperate move to win, Doe strikes a bargain with Three’s cousin, Wells: If he fake dates her to get under Three’s skin, she’ll help him get back his rightful family heirloom from Three.

As the pranks escalate, so do her feelings for her fake boyfriend, and Doe spins lie after lie to keep up her end of the deal. But when a teacher long suspected of inappropriate behavior messes with a younger Weston girl, Doe has to decide what’s more important: winning a rivalry, or joining forces to protect something far more critical than a prank war legacy.

This book was just good, plain fun!  Sure, Doe did some pretty crappy things—and I never really understood her animosity towards Three—but I enjoyed this book from the very first page. Doe’s group of friends was great, and I liked that the guys were actually good guys, too, even if the girls couldn’t see that at first. Doe grows a lot in this story, and while sometimes that change was painful, I enjoyed the story very much. Especially the interactions between Doe and Wells. Her “stranger danger” made me laugh a lot.

Samantha Markum lives in St. Louis. This May End Badly is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)

The Best Books I Read in March (2022)

In March, I read 20 books. A few of those were really excellent reads. All are fantasies this month.

In a Garden Burning Gold, by Rory Power. This was a unique tale (to me). I liked the culture and world, but the main family was mostly unlikable. However, Rhea really grew on me as she became her own person instead of her father’s puppet. Definitely a solid read!

A Magic Steeped in Poison, by Judy I. Lin. I was hooked from the very first page! Setting, culture, characters, I loved it all. I think linking tea and tea ceremonies with magic is so unique, and as a tea fanatic, I really appreciated it.

A Forgery of Roses, by Jessica S. Olson. This was another good fantasy read. I liked the magic system, and the characters were both relatable and likable.

Book Review:   A Magic Steeped in Poison, by Judy I. Lin

Image belongs to Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends.

Title:    A Magic Steeped in Poison
Author:    Judy I. Lin
Genre:    Fantasy, YA
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it’s her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu. 

When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom’s greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning’s only chance to save her sister’s life.

 But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

I really enjoyed this read! The culture and world were fascinating, and I loved all the sensory details that brought it to vivid life. The characters were believable, and I really loved Ning and the friendships she formed—and the intrigues she landed in. I can’t wait to read the second book in the duology!

Judy I. Lin grew up in Canada. A Magic Steeped in Poison is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review.)