Take a photo of a barcode or cover
bandherbooks's Reviews (3.65k)
I'm not going to spend a lot of time reviewing Fourth Wing; I think many besides myself have tackled the complexities of how i ~feel~ about a a society that thinks it is totally fine to send young adults to their almost certain death to train to become soldiers in a very militaristic society. will this author be successful in sustaining the velocity of this series? only time will tell.
that said, it was really propulsive and hooky; the world building felt naturally built into the story telling and I wasn't completely overwhelmed. I also very much enjoyed that the dragons are full fledged members of their own society, with rules and structures, and that they aren't just glorified horses. I also really was glad to see that Violet "violence" Sorrengail's disabilities were not magically fixed; her dragon and her team, and eventually her lover accepted her and she was able to have helping devices and aids to allow her to accomplish her goals.
Also, bestill my heart for some great non-slut shamey story too. Violet is just too busy trying to make sure she keeps alive to bone anyone, she isn't not sleeping with anyone because of purity culture reasons. if i were at an academy that i had only a small chance of suriving, i too would be enjoying my time amirite. Casually queer too.
Imperfect, but perfectly fun! It feels good to finally like one of the big popular books, definitely a watercooler moment of 2023
that said, it was really propulsive and hooky; the world building felt naturally built into the story telling and I wasn't completely overwhelmed. I also very much enjoyed that the dragons are full fledged members of their own society, with rules and structures, and that they aren't just glorified horses. I also really was glad to see that Violet "violence" Sorrengail's disabilities were not magically fixed; her dragon and her team, and eventually her lover accepted her and she was able to have helping devices and aids to allow her to accomplish her goals.
Also, bestill my heart for some great non-slut shamey story too. Violet is just too busy trying to make sure she keeps alive to bone anyone, she isn't not sleeping with anyone because of purity culture reasons. if i were at an academy that i had only a small chance of suriving, i too would be enjoying my time amirite. Casually queer too.
Imperfect, but perfectly fun! It feels good to finally like one of the big popular books, definitely a watercooler moment of 2023
i read this ARC in a fever dream; I need a re-read to fully form my incoherent thoughts. True Crime things are not my oeuvre, so the concept of two sisters going on a podcast road trip to try to find their estranged mother who may or may not be connected to a serial con artist (thank goodness not unaliver) was a bit of a stretch for me, but but but kate clayborn never disappoints me, and wow the romance in this is so luscious when it starts paying off.
ALSO the mother//daughter dynamic between older sister Jess to her little sister Tegan was so lovingly explored in all of its messiness.
more to come, but definitely a must-read by my beloved fav author (i am biased and pals with kate)
thank you to Kensington for the very early copy
ALSO the mother//daughter dynamic between older sister Jess to her little sister Tegan was so lovingly explored in all of its messiness.
more to come, but definitely a must-read by my beloved fav author (i am biased and pals with kate)
thank you to Kensington for the very early copy
~actual rating 3.5
A solid debut romance. I would highly recommend this to readers starting out with the genre as it has classic romance tropes and a hero who is down bad for our heroine. I wanted more oomph overall, especially as a single POV romance and we are not privy to Vincent's motivations beyond what we are shown from Amerie's POV. It was absolutely lovely to see all the care Vincent took to check in with Amerie as they pretended to date for his family's sake, and his actions did speak loudly to the love he was clearly feeling (if not yet expressing).
What kept me from very much loving this was the deception toward's Vince's family (especially the fake engagement thrown on top of the fake dating), and the fear i had that something would befall Amerie's mother, who she is very anxious about throughout the story. Amerie's mother has sickle cell anemia, and Amerie has spent her life worrying and having bad news hit (including losing her job when she ditches a big profile wedding she's the planner for when her mom is hospitalized). Thankfully! Amerie's mother is doing well the entire story, phew.
Other than that, if you enjoy cinnamon roll heroes with granite jaws, an excellent home library AND telescope, and who can show you the stars in more than one way, this one is for you!
open door, but just light steam near the 75% mark.
Thank you to the pub for the advance copy; also reviewing professional for LJ (TK)
A solid debut romance. I would highly recommend this to readers starting out with the genre as it has classic romance tropes and a hero who is down bad for our heroine. I wanted more oomph overall, especially as a single POV romance and we are not privy to Vincent's motivations beyond what we are shown from Amerie's POV. It was absolutely lovely to see all the care Vincent took to check in with Amerie as they pretended to date for his family's sake, and his actions did speak loudly to the love he was clearly feeling (if not yet expressing).
What kept me from very much loving this was the deception toward's Vince's family (especially the fake engagement thrown on top of the fake dating), and the fear i had that something would befall Amerie's mother, who she is very anxious about throughout the story. Amerie's mother has sickle cell anemia, and Amerie has spent her life worrying and having bad news hit (including losing her job when she ditches a big profile wedding she's the planner for when her mom is hospitalized). Thankfully! Amerie's mother is doing well the entire story, phew.
Other than that, if you enjoy cinnamon roll heroes with granite jaws, an excellent home library AND telescope, and who can show you the stars in more than one way, this one is for you!
open door, but just light steam near the 75% mark.
Thank you to the pub for the advance copy; also reviewing professional for LJ (TK)
actual rating: 3.5⭐
Therapist Jessica is bamboozled when her long term boyfriend of over 10 years dumps her the day her debut relationship advice book publishes. Sure, there relationship had been tepid at best the past few years, but Jessica had found her groove writing along with seeing her therapy clients while Luke had became a surgeon.
More angry than sad, Jessica runs into Galvin, Luke's college nemesis and the fuckboi that most of Jessica's friends had hooked up with. Determined to not mimic her chaotic, attention seeking, and man obssessed mother, Jessica had never given the absolutely gorgeous Galvin the time of day. And for good reason it seems, as Galvin himself had been absolutely slandered by his much younger ex for being "bad in bed."
But when Jessica and Galvin immediately reconnect, and find they have far more in common than just their college pasts, so when Jessica's PR agent suggests they have a fake relationships help protect her from becoming a bad meme (who wants to read a dating advice book from a dumpee), both Jessica and Galvin go for it.
Naturally, real feelings enter the equation along with excellent chemistry.
So, i loved January Lavoy's narration (as I always do), but this was uneven in pacing for me. The "why can't they just be together" was never strong enough to keep up with the fake dating and the ending was SO abrupt. After the tempestuousness of everything, I would have liked to see them more settled, in the future.
I did enjoy the banter and how Jessica and Galvin sussed out their issues, together, with even therapist Jessica having to show her messy side once in awhile, and how they both stood up for each other in the face of their toxic parents. Also, fuck Luke, that dude suckssss
uneven, but a fun listen overall.
professional audio review TK for library journal; thank you to PRH audio for the ALC.
Therapist Jessica is bamboozled when her long term boyfriend of over 10 years dumps her the day her debut relationship advice book publishes. Sure, there relationship had been tepid at best the past few years, but Jessica had found her groove writing along with seeing her therapy clients while Luke had became a surgeon.
More angry than sad, Jessica runs into Galvin, Luke's college nemesis and the fuckboi that most of Jessica's friends had hooked up with. Determined to not mimic her chaotic, attention seeking, and man obssessed mother, Jessica had never given the absolutely gorgeous Galvin the time of day. And for good reason it seems, as Galvin himself had been absolutely slandered by his much younger ex for being "bad in bed."
But when Jessica and Galvin immediately reconnect, and find they have far more in common than just their college pasts, so when Jessica's PR agent suggests they have a fake relationships help protect her from becoming a bad meme (who wants to read a dating advice book from a dumpee), both Jessica and Galvin go for it.
Naturally, real feelings enter the equation along with excellent chemistry.
So, i loved January Lavoy's narration (as I always do), but this was uneven in pacing for me. The "why can't they just be together" was never strong enough to keep up with the fake dating and the ending was SO abrupt. After the tempestuousness of everything, I would have liked to see them more settled, in the future.
I did enjoy the banter and how Jessica and Galvin sussed out their issues, together, with even therapist Jessica having to show her messy side once in awhile, and how they both stood up for each other in the face of their toxic parents. Also, fuck Luke, that dude suckssss
uneven, but a fun listen overall.
professional audio review TK for library journal; thank you to PRH audio for the ALC.
well, this was a delicious treat. definitely know this is an erotic short, and while it has a great ending, it isn't classically a romance (our characters will continue to explore their sugar baby arrangement that now includes sex).
delightfully hot, he's a man that gives and gives. i will be back for more as the author pens these!
delightfully hot, he's a man that gives and gives. i will be back for more as the author pens these!
Animation director and recent-ish widow relocates for a contract job at an Irish animation study to run away from her grief. Leaving Texas behind is difficult, but Lark Thompson is immediately charmed by Galway and her sparse sublet. She also believes the home next door is a B&B, but when she accidentally receives a package for the business and it turns out to be an order of ... body bags, Lark discovers her neighbors is actually just neighbor. and he's a mortician. and the house is a funeral home.
Callum Flannelly is used to being misjudged, both in his profession and by his romantic interests, so he isn't surprised when Lark at first expresses horror that he's her neighbor, but is shocked when they immediately strike up a friendship and she quickly finds the value in his work...and in him. Callum also needs a wife in order to keep his family's business and legacy out of the clutches of his terrible absentee father, but Lark only seems to be interested in helping him date other women.
What follows is a lovely romance that made me giggle and made me swoon a whole lot. this is a truly nice debut, and i so appreciated the author's content notes in the front matter. Just because some of the topics were heavy, they didn't detract from the romance itself. I thought grief, death, and love were all tenderly handled. PLUS Callum's demi-sexuality, his stutter, and Lark's grief.
What kept me from giving this solid debut five stars was the sub plot about Lark's toxic coworker. While realistic (shitty men keep being shitty), it didn't feel necessary to the story when the need for more than one reason for Lark not to stay in Ireland could have just ... not been this jerk. Sadly, sexual harassment and intellectual theft and micro aggressions are all too real. I just felt bad for Lark having so much to deal with (however realistic it was).
Other than that, I loved, and will be back for more from the author.
content notes are included in the front matter of this book, provided by the author.
Callum Flannelly is used to being misjudged, both in his profession and by his romantic interests, so he isn't surprised when Lark at first expresses horror that he's her neighbor, but is shocked when they immediately strike up a friendship and she quickly finds the value in his work...and in him. Callum also needs a wife in order to keep his family's business and legacy out of the clutches of his terrible absentee father, but Lark only seems to be interested in helping him date other women.
What follows is a lovely romance that made me giggle and made me swoon a whole lot. this is a truly nice debut, and i so appreciated the author's content notes in the front matter. Just because some of the topics were heavy, they didn't detract from the romance itself. I thought grief, death, and love were all tenderly handled. PLUS Callum's demi-sexuality, his stutter, and Lark's grief.
What kept me from giving this solid debut five stars was the sub plot about Lark's toxic coworker. While realistic (shitty men keep being shitty), it didn't feel necessary to the story when the need for more than one reason for Lark not to stay in Ireland could have just ... not been this jerk. Sadly, sexual harassment and intellectual theft and micro aggressions are all too real. I just felt bad for Lark having so much to deal with (however realistic it was).
Other than that, I loved, and will be back for more from the author.
content notes are included in the front matter of this book, provided by the author.
The way this horror hit me both in the scaries and also my feelings. Tingle knows how to both keep you on the edge of your seat and also tenderly explore queer identity, neurodivergence, and religion in ways that honor both those who have forsaken religion and those who still seek to find a connection but hoping to eradicate the hate and fear.
gosh, i'm so excited to share this book with library patrons.
re-read today in one big gulp to prepare for an interview with the author, and i just again have to agree full-heartedly with the "searing and EARNEST' description from Tor. I'm so glad I tried this book, I've always adored the author for his work before, and I'm so happy for his success.
My main take away, is that LOVE IS REAL. Be curious, not judgmental.
gosh, i'm so excited to share this book with library patrons.
re-read today in one big gulp to prepare for an interview with the author, and i just again have to agree full-heartedly with the "searing and EARNEST' description from Tor. I'm so glad I tried this book, I've always adored the author for his work before, and I'm so happy for his success.
My main take away, is that LOVE IS REAL. Be curious, not judgmental.
Michelle Williams absolutely slayed on this narration; after hearing Britney Spears' herself for the short prologue, I was so stunned (in the best way) to find Williams narration to be so similar without ever feeling farcical. Just the right amount of twang and vocal fry.
As for the material, the overwhelming takeaway is listening to a woman who desperately wanted to parent her children, who desperately wanted to make a family, to share her art, and who was squashed into a tiny box and repeatedly told she wasn't "okay," wasn't "safe," wasn't "healthy" or "enough."
I'm glad she found her voice again, I'm glad she is free from the conservatorship that I still cannot believe went on for thirteen years. I'm glad I got to listen to this story, and I hope she continues to find herself, and peace.
I purchased an eAudio from Audible with my own money; will be reviewing professionally for Library Journal.
As for the material, the overwhelming takeaway is listening to a woman who desperately wanted to parent her children, who desperately wanted to make a family, to share her art, and who was squashed into a tiny box and repeatedly told she wasn't "okay," wasn't "safe," wasn't "healthy" or "enough."
I'm glad she found her voice again, I'm glad she is free from the conservatorship that I still cannot believe went on for thirteen years. I'm glad I got to listen to this story, and I hope she continues to find herself, and peace.
I purchased an eAudio from Audible with my own money; will be reviewing professionally for Library Journal.
Perfectionist and good girl Mia must return home after her barely-started before it crashed and burned career in campaign management ended. Taking a minimum wage job at the local coffee shop was never her dream, nor was being absolutely rejected by the very cute jeweler next door. Especially since he's the former bad boy she used to tutor in high school.
Ross himself is determined to not let Mia win her way back into his life, or heart, after feeling betrayed by her in the past. He has a solid life now, even if he still battles against people like Mia's judge father's perceptions of him. His grandfather's jewelry store, his one-eyed pup, and his peppy front of the house sales employee get him through each day.
But, Mia with the dimples is ever persistent, and they fall into a romance that Ross is worried will end as soon as Mia finds her feet and the next flight out of El Dorado.
What a lovely debut! With echoes of one of my contemporary favorites Jill Shalvis, Amesta pens a small-town romance full of slow-burn heat and heart with big opportunities to expand on this universe! I want more!
Reviewed from a copy I purchased with my own monies. The author is a personal friend, but all opinions are my own.
Ross himself is determined to not let Mia win her way back into his life, or heart, after feeling betrayed by her in the past. He has a solid life now, even if he still battles against people like Mia's judge father's perceptions of him. His grandfather's jewelry store, his one-eyed pup, and his peppy front of the house sales employee get him through each day.
But, Mia with the dimples is ever persistent, and they fall into a romance that Ross is worried will end as soon as Mia finds her feet and the next flight out of El Dorado.
What a lovely debut! With echoes of one of my contemporary favorites Jill Shalvis, Amesta pens a small-town romance full of slow-burn heat and heart with big opportunities to expand on this universe! I want more!
Reviewed from a copy I purchased with my own monies. The author is a personal friend, but all opinions are my own.
Bollywood star and TV producer fall into bad habits when they work together on their first project after having a torrid, and secret, affair years ago.
overall, i wanted far more reason for these two to be so in love beyond their pants feelings. this was very horny! but the very real career and safety risks, especially for Saira, made me want to understand more why Mia was worth it all.
Overall, it was fine, just not great.
author gives general content note before, but i will include these:
homomisia, descriptions of hate crimes that have happened to secondary characters, fear of hate crimes, fear of outing, main character's sibling brutally attacked in past for way a fictional character is portrayed in a film while acting
overall, i wanted far more reason for these two to be so in love beyond their pants feelings. this was very horny! but the very real career and safety risks, especially for Saira, made me want to understand more why Mia was worth it all.
Overall, it was fine, just not great.
author gives general content note before, but i will include these:
homomisia, descriptions of hate crimes that have happened to secondary characters, fear of hate crimes, fear of outing, main character's sibling brutally attacked in past for way a fictional character is portrayed in a film while acting