elle_laine's Reviews (126)

This novella follows Adena, best friend to Paedyn in Lauren Roberts’ Powerless. Adena struggles without Paedyn to protect her in the slums. But then she meets a handsome stranger who strikes up a deal with her. With some visits to Paedyn in the kingdom to sew her dresses, Adena finally feels like her life is full of color. But then tragedy strikes. 
I absolutely adored this novella!! I read it so quickly. Although the ending definitely threw me for a loop, I am hopeful. I can’t wait for Reckless to come out!

This story follows two young women’s point-of-views in a world of cutthroat business dealings and intrigue. Anna Bright is the founder and CEO of a potentially very successful and revolutionary product that will change how people live their lives. What everyone doesn’t know is that not everything she does is above-board. Jamie Roman is an aspiring journalist with great potential. After coming in contact with Anna several times, Jamie can’t help but dig into Anna’s past and shady future plans for her business.

This was a fascinating read. I enjoyed learning through this story about corporate misconduct and the lengths people will go to for what they want. Having said that, at times I was a little confused with the corporate and business lingo. The ending also surprised me. I was looking for more of a clincher, but I think the ending was perfect for the story. Even though I am not very knowledgeable on business dealings, this story felt realistic and true to what women struggle with in the business world of men today.

I struggled a bit with the audiobook version of this book. Because of all the business terms, it was a bit more difficult for me to keep up over audio than normal. I also found myself speeding the audio up because the pacing was a bit slow for me. However, the narrators’ voices were engaging for the characters and I liked that there were two different narrators for each of the perspectives.

I definitely recommend this for those looking for more intrigue rather than thrills. There are no major plot twists, but the lies and misconduct are fascinating. If you liked Yellowface by R. F. Kuang, this should be your next read.

I received a copy of this book in an audiobook format from Dreamscape Media in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions here are mine and mine alone.

•Adam and Amelia Wright are on a much-needed vacation to a chapel in Scotland that Amelia won from work. This is their chance to save their marriage. But nothing is as it seems, and the chapel they’re staying at? Creepy. 

•This one didn’t do it for me. I had had this book on my TBR for probably close to a year, so I was excited to finally get my hands on it. I listened to the audiobook and found myself putting this on as background noise more than for the story. I was hopeful that the ending would shock me, but it was a bit of a let-down. I did like the creepy chapel vibes though, so I can give this one 3⭐️s. 

Dragons. School. A mystery. Second-chances. Markus is a student at a school that teaches their students how to train dragons and cultivate the bond between dragon and dragon rider. When it is time for Markus to capture a dragon to make his own, he fails. Miserably. But before he can leave in defeat, he is offered a riderless dragon in return for completing a mission. Simple, right? But the mission is anything but, and Markus finds himself wrapped up in intrigue, lies, and maybe even love.

This was a fun read at times, but at other times, I was a little confused by the plot. I loved the unique names that the characters got, and the whole idea behind the book was captivating, just not brought out enough in the short 180 pages of this book. The ending did leave the reader on a cliff-hanger, meaning that there is room for a sequel, but I don’t think I will be reading it if it does come out. This story was not developed enough to draw me in fully.

For anyone who loves How to Train Your Dragon and other dragon-focused books, definitely check this one out! It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Yggdrasil Press for an ebook version of this book in exchange for a review! All thoughts here are my own.

•Sadie is on a journey of revenge. She is looking for answers about her sister’s murder, and nothing will stop her from getting what she wants. 🔪 🩸 

•This was not for me. I listened to the audiobook and really appreciated the performance, but I didn’t care much for the story. It lacked the shocking element that I look for in thrillers. It’s definitely a quick read though, if that’s something you’re looking for!

Emma is a writer who has passed up opportunities to further her career because she is her father’s primary caretaker. But when a friend calls her and describes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to re-write a romantic comedy script with one of the most famous screenwriters of today, Charlie Yates, Emma can’t say no. And after her dad and sister hear about the opportunity, they make it impossible for her to not go. Unfortunately, Emma finds out too late what Charlie Yates thinks about romance and love, and the journey she sets out on to prove to him that love is not “an emotional Ponzi scheme” turns out to be something she never bargained for. 

 

I simply ADORE this book and storyline! Katherine Center never fails to deliver a truly heart-warming and slightly heart-breaking story about love, the realities of life, and truly comedic moments. I fell in love with Emma and Charlie, their stories, and all the other characters that made this story so incredibly special. Not a single character was presented as one-sided, but rather each character was presented with their flaws as well as their strengths, making the story complete and realistic. I felt like I could relate to the characters. 

 

THANK YOU Macmillan Audio for providing me with the audiobook version of this book through NetGalley. All opinions listed here are only mine. The audiobook made it that much more special. The narrator was excellent and brought life to the story that took it up a notch. For each character, she created a distinct voice which greatly helped in the reader experience. Personally, I typically opt to read the physical copy of books, but this was a wonderful audiobook production. My recommendation is the audiobook, as it gave the story a fullness that I do not think I would’ve gotten from an ebook or physical copy. The overall experience with the audiobook was all-around enjoyable. 

 

This is the perfect spring/summer read for lovers of Katherine Center’s other books, lovers of happily-ever-afters, and even for those who do not really “believe” in love. Let this book surprise you. Open up your world to a genre you may not generally lean toward. 

•Sam is finally feeling settled in her life with her new and dearly beloved “family.” As the school librarian, Sam finds joy in helping children discover the love of books. Life is going well. That is, until a tragedy changes everything for Sam and everyone that works at the school. Enter Duncan Carpenter. Sam never thought she would hear that name again. But here he is, hired as the new principal. And chaos ensues. 📚 🏫💘

•This was such a hilarious book full of entirely lovable characters! I knew that I would like it since @katherinecenter wrote it, but I wasn’t prepared for all the laugh-out-loud moments and deeply moving navigations through grief, sorrow, and love. This is an amazing read, and I recommend it to EVERYONE!

•Wow! This book really takes you on an adventure! Adina is no typical girl. She has unique abilities and a specific goal in mind when she works. Then suddenly her world is rocked when she is accused of a murder. Enter Chief Inquisitor Breitling. His job is to prove Adina’s guilt. To do that, he has to follow her every move. ⛓️🌌🖤

•This was such a fun book to read! I don’t typically read books of this genre, but this one was captivating. I loved all the concepts of the world and found it very unique while still being easy to follow.

•Dr. Davis is a respected surgeon with a hidden past. No one knows, or, at least, no one knew, her dark past until two deaths open up some secrets of those secrets that threaten to ruin the life Dr. Davis made for herself. 

•I’m not a huge fan of this book. I listened to the audiobook version and I really didn’t care for the narrator’s voice. I also guessed a lot of the twists, which was disappointing because usually I’m way off when guessing twists in books! I was entertained and finished the book quickly, but I can’t give it more than 3⭐️s. 

•Emma is a struggling artist who can’t pass up the opportunity to be an art instructor at a girls’ camp during the summer. Even though she herself was a camper there years before when tragedy struck and mysterious circumstances shut down the camp. But it’s open now, and Emma hesitantly becomes a crew member. She needs to uncover some secrets, but at what cost? 🤫 🩸 🪨 

•This book was slow to start, but it really picked up in the second half. Although some parts were predictable, I enjoyed the ending. Would definitely recommend, especially for someone looking for creepy camp vibes!