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Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.
MANY THOUGHTS.
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Well, one of my highly anticipated reads has let me down a bit.
Side note: I read a handful of reviews and it looks like if you Google what’s Daphne’s mythology, it can spoil part of the book. I went and Googled myself (after reading) and would say, YES IT DOES SPOIL. So please don’t search anything until after reading if you’re curious what her history is! I didn’t know before this book there was a story involving Daphne.
I loved the inital set-up and story. I liked that Daphne was trying to find a place for herself. To feel like she has a home. Add in some brothers and I was loving this little family plotline. First goddess into the ring was Athena and thus one of my least favorite tropes arrived: the travelling trope.
Most of this book is indeed spent with Daphne going from location A, B, C, etc. trying to first, figure out what is missing from Olympus and secondly, how to retrieve and fix the situation. What bothered me a lot about this was that a handful of times she ran into someone new (or saw the main villian) they would say you can’t know my name yet. And just WHY? Leaving it as a “mystery” wasn’t really a mystery. It was more annoying than anything not to say who’s who.
I didn’t know there would be a romance, mainly because it took a VERY long time for it to arise and I was suprised by it. There wasn’t anything to them. Honestly, could’ve done without and I might have enjoyed it more. The small scenes didn’t add to the whole story. I would have liked to have just seen more of Daphne being a warrior.
What I did love was the interpretation of mythology. I love books about mythology because I like seeing how each author depicts the gods and whatever story they’re using. It was great seeing many many secondary characters and remembering their general storylines as I went. I love these kind of scenarios brought to life.
By the end I was left with more forced questions than answers, trying to dangle me into reading the next book rather than the entire book convincing me I should want to read the sequel, so we’ll see. It did keep my interest for a very long time. It was towards the end where I started to slip and wanted finish the book quickly. The writing and story is there, I think I had the hype in my mind for a bit different of a tale.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy / Mythology
- Language: a little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: battles, skirmishes, friends being turned into creatures, animal attacks, physical altercations, murder
MANY THOUGHTS.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
Well, one of my highly anticipated reads has let me down a bit.
Side note: I read a handful of reviews and it looks like if you Google what’s Daphne’s mythology, it can spoil part of the book. I went and Googled myself (after reading) and would say, YES IT DOES SPOIL. So please don’t search anything until after reading if you’re curious what her history is! I didn’t know before this book there was a story involving Daphne.
I loved the inital set-up and story. I liked that Daphne was trying to find a place for herself. To feel like she has a home. Add in some brothers and I was loving this little family plotline. First goddess into the ring was Athena and thus one of my least favorite tropes arrived: the travelling trope.
Most of this book is indeed spent with Daphne going from location A, B, C, etc. trying to first, figure out what is missing from Olympus and secondly, how to retrieve and fix the situation. What bothered me a lot about this was that a handful of times she ran into someone new (or saw the main villian) they would say you can’t know my name yet. And just WHY? Leaving it as a “mystery” wasn’t really a mystery. It was more annoying than anything not to say who’s who.
I didn’t know there would be a romance, mainly because it took a VERY long time for it to arise and I was suprised by it. There wasn’t anything to them. Honestly, could’ve done without and I might have enjoyed it more. The small scenes didn’t add to the whole story. I would have liked to have just seen more of Daphne being a warrior.
What I did love was the interpretation of mythology. I love books about mythology because I like seeing how each author depicts the gods and whatever story they’re using. It was great seeing many many secondary characters and remembering their general storylines as I went. I love these kind of scenarios brought to life.
By the end I was left with more forced questions than answers, trying to dangle me into reading the next book rather than the entire book convincing me I should want to read the sequel, so we’ll see. It did keep my interest for a very long time. It was towards the end where I started to slip and wanted finish the book quickly. The writing and story is there, I think I had the hype in my mind for a bit different of a tale.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy / Mythology
- Language: a little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: battles, skirmishes, friends being turned into creatures, animal attacks, physical altercations, murder
fast-paced
THIS WAS WILD.
My eyes were in shocked mode practically the entire time. I didn’t know what I was going to get from reading this, so an incredible fast-paced thriller was surprising and intense.
Have you ever watched the show Below Deck? Because this felt like instead of watching the crew, you were watching the guests. And the guests had utterly jumped off the deep end. I hated so many of them (and that was entirely the point so I wasn’t upset about it). The very few redeeming characters were the right touch for this kind of story.
I really didn’t see the biggest twist and I flat out shouted at my steering wheel while listening because I was SHOCKED. Which then amped the story even more. I loved Belle’s place in the novel and getting everything from her view. I wasn’t sure about the flashback chapters initially. As they continued and started making much more sense I was just as invested with those as the present story.
Definitely had some raunchiness I didn’t love, but this story was just too good to put down. Loved the audio version and I will be checking out her next book. This was highly entertaining and different from my usual reads which made it all the better.
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Language: strong
- Romance: kisses, open & closed door scenes
- Trigger/Content Warnings: sexual assault, rape, murder, drowning, suicide, suicide ideation, being drugged without consent
EXCALIBUR.
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I picked this up for what was hopefully going to be a distracted, royalty filled romance. Instead I was distracted by one thing that just bleh to me.
I couldn’t handle the Prince referring to his *manhood* as a scepter or Excalibur, over and over again. The first time or two, I shook it off, it fit the theme, okay sure. But the more it went on, the more I was just like…stop. Subtly was definitely lacking for this romance and I didn’t love it.
This did make me laugh at times and it was a quick read. The story was line was quirky and well put together for a royal romance read. My struggles with it didn’t detract from enjoying it. When the subtly was there, I did really like Tessa and Arthur. I thought the moments they were getting to know each other and flirting were cute.
I don’t plan on continuing the series since it wasn’t a total fit for me.
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Language: some strong throughout
- Romance: kisses / make-outs; a handful of open and closed door scenes
- Trigger/Content Warnings: brief mention of losing a loved one from suicide
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I picked this up for what was hopefully going to be a distracted, royalty filled romance. Instead I was distracted by one thing that just bleh to me.
I couldn’t handle the Prince referring to his *manhood* as a scepter or Excalibur, over and over again. The first time or two, I shook it off, it fit the theme, okay sure. But the more it went on, the more I was just like…stop. Subtly was definitely lacking for this romance and I didn’t love it.
This did make me laugh at times and it was a quick read. The story was line was quirky and well put together for a royal romance read. My struggles with it didn’t detract from enjoying it. When the subtly was there, I did really like Tessa and Arthur. I thought the moments they were getting to know each other and flirting were cute.
I don’t plan on continuing the series since it wasn’t a total fit for me.
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Language: some strong throughout
- Romance: kisses / make-outs; a handful of open and closed door scenes
- Trigger/Content Warnings: brief mention of losing a loved one from suicide
ALERT: RAGING TEEN HORMONES
That’s about the only major thought that kept going through my head. This was a book that couldn’t decide what age group it actually wanted to be apart of. The dialogue, conversations, and inner monologues swayed from young YA and towards NA (new adult). It was weird. Really weird.
What I did like was the hockey story. I love a good sports novel and I LOVE that Willow got be the goalie for the boy’s team. That was awesome and really neat to see. I liked reading about the games and wondering who was going to win.
I also did enjoy Willow’s character progression. Ridiculous thoughts about Brodie aside, she made some great strides in figuring out what was best for her. I think she made the best decisions with the information she could and picked what she truly felt was going to make her happy in the long run.
The wild drama all over the place took me out of the story. I don’t mind a bit of drama, but sometimes it hits a line. This one rolled way past that point. Everything felt amped to try and create an emotional side, and I didn’t feel much of that. I wish I could have felt drawn to some of the inner story more, but it’s fine. This was a quick YA romance that had some good, some bad.
Overall audience notes:
- Young adult sports romance
- Language: some
- Romance: kisses/make-outs
- Violence: physical altercations
- Trigger/Content Warnings: difficult sports injuries, sexism, misogyny, loss of a parent through car wreck, parent abandonment, parent incarceration, alcoholism
TOOK AN UNEXPECTED TWIST.
Was it a good twist?
Not from my perspective.
Sooooooo I’m feeling a bit disappointed over this. I was SO EXCITED for this fantasy by one of my favorite authors, and maybe I hyped it too much? Maybe this fantasy just didn’t click? Maybe some combination of a handful of things.
I liked the romance between Romy and Zander. It’s a slowwww burn, but works so well here. I thought the chemistry was there (would have loved even more) and the banter was great too. I look forward to more of them based on how this ended so I’m definitely looking towards the sequel for a lift.
What fell really flat was the world-building and the magic system. Romy spent most of the time in the dark, so I spent even more time in the dark. I have SO MANY QUESTIONS. I could form a list for you, but it would probably spoil most of the story, ha. There’s some info dumping pages where I kind of caught up on what was happening, but frankly, I have no idea what’s going on. The whole quest to get the stone wasn’t even the plot of this book. Many mixed messages.
Speaking of mixed message, I’m still upset over the twist. It felt like it only added to the confusion. Why was it added? Why do they need to be that way? And once again, many more questions.
Even though the story wasn’t the necessarily like the summary led me to believe, I did like most of it. It was entertaining most of the time and I’m still curious enough to see what’s next.
Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy romance
- Language: some
- Romance: kisses to open door scenes
- Violence: sword battles, physical altercations, poison
- Trigger/Content Warnings: slavery
Thank you to PenguinTeen and Netgalley for an eARC!
SOMEONE TELL ME I GET ANOTHER BOOK.
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No, but really.
If that’s the way this is ending I am definitely taking my rating down because that is cruel (ohhhh I did not see that pun coming).
If there’s another book, THEN HOT DANG, I STILL HAVE A CHANCE.
I have found a love triangle I am here for. And a villain with some remorse. These are the moments I am loving. This was a book I couldn’t put down. As soon as the first few chapters rolled by and I remembered everything that happened I was attached to the continuation. Maybe the plot wasn’t the strongest, but these characters are stunningly complex and I LOVE THAT.
I am so endgame for a particular couple in here (and if you know me you probably can guess, but I don’t want to spoil for anyone who read this). AND I JUST NEED IT TO HAPPEN. It will send this book next level because frankly, I’m intensely attached to this scenario.
This was beautifully written and rarely felt like it was diving into second book syndrome. Instead I saw growth on many fronts. I think the story is solid and like I mentioned earlier, realllllly needs a third book to wrap everything up. I want (read: NEED) more. This was entertaining and the writing made it feel like such a quick read. I was surprised how quickly I flew through it. Zahru was a great main character and had me laughing at her jokes and commentary. I to, am easily persuaded when desserts are involved.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy + Romance
- Language: very little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: physical altercations, knives/swords, skirmishes, animal attacks, poison, assassination attempts; not overly bloody/gory
SOMEONE TELL ME I GET ANOTHER BOOK.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
No, but really.
If that’s the way this is ending I am definitely taking my rating down because that is cruel (ohhhh I did not see that pun coming).
If there’s another book, THEN HOT DANG, I STILL HAVE A CHANCE.
I have found a love triangle I am here for. And a villain with some remorse. These are the moments I am loving. This was a book I couldn’t put down. As soon as the first few chapters rolled by and I remembered everything that happened I was attached to the continuation. Maybe the plot wasn’t the strongest, but these characters are stunningly complex and I LOVE THAT.
I am so endgame for a particular couple in here (and if you know me you probably can guess, but I don’t want to spoil for anyone who read this). AND I JUST NEED IT TO HAPPEN. It will send this book next level because frankly, I’m intensely attached to this scenario.
This was beautifully written and rarely felt like it was diving into second book syndrome. Instead I saw growth on many fronts. I think the story is solid and like I mentioned earlier, realllllly needs a third book to wrap everything up. I want (read: NEED) more. This was entertaining and the writing made it feel like such a quick read. I was surprised how quickly I flew through it. Zahru was a great main character and had me laughing at her jokes and commentary. I to, am easily persuaded when desserts are involved.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy + Romance
- Language: very little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: physical altercations, knives/swords, skirmishes, animal attacks, poison, assassination attempts; not overly bloody/gory
SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT COMING.
This is my 13th (wild?!) CoHo book. You would think by now that I should be fully prepared to have my soul ripped in half, to cry a bit, and then have it knit back in the best way. Once again, I was NOT and so a puddle of tears I became.
I love how absolutely raw this was. On both sides there were so many emotions and stories to discover. I loved how the way Miles chapters were written. They conveyed a sense of what was most important to him and in telling his story of how he became who he is today. I love how Tate brought him out of his secluded space and helped him realize that he had the choice to move on. I even love how Rachel’s story played out too.
There was just so much LOVE here. Even if it was ugly. There’s such power in love and there were ample connections here that showed love in many forms and in many ways. This was painful as much as it was hopeful. I couldn’t put it down and it was another CoHo book I finished in a day.
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: kisses to open door scenes
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a child, car wreck, depictions of grief and depression
HURTS SO GOOD.
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That’s this series so far to me. Heart strings continually pulled, near-death moments, kidnappings, murders, the threat of war, oh my goodness, how do I even keep up? How do I even look away? The answer: YA DON’T. I have been swept up in another great Outlander installment and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I love the slow pace and intricate story telling. The ability for this book to span hundreds of pages and an immense amount of information, yet keep me enthralled is no small feat. This series is a gem.
Jamie and Claire y’all. How I continue to love them more and more. Oh yes, I will say there romance is timeless. I can’t get enough of them fighting for each other, being together, working as one, and more. Same with Bri and Roger. Good heavens I’m hooked on them too, and now I NEED TO KNOW WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.
I don’t know where book seven will lead, but I’m here for the ride. This review is short because it feels impossible to cover so much and convey to y’all to read it (without spoilers at this point). It’s entrancing, and will have you completely wrapped up.
Overall audience notes:
- Historical fiction romance
- Language: some strong throughout
- Romance: a handful of scenes ranging from kissing to open-door love scenes (brief and extended)
- Violence: see TW/CW below; physical altercations, guns, thievery
- Trigger/Content Warnings: rape, sexual harassment, sexual assault, slavery, torture, kidnapping, arson, murder (including a pregnant woman), suicide attempt, suicide ideation [I know I have missed some; please research and take caution before reading this series]
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
That’s this series so far to me. Heart strings continually pulled, near-death moments, kidnappings, murders, the threat of war, oh my goodness, how do I even keep up? How do I even look away? The answer: YA DON’T. I have been swept up in another great Outlander installment and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I love the slow pace and intricate story telling. The ability for this book to span hundreds of pages and an immense amount of information, yet keep me enthralled is no small feat. This series is a gem.
Jamie and Claire y’all. How I continue to love them more and more. Oh yes, I will say there romance is timeless. I can’t get enough of them fighting for each other, being together, working as one, and more. Same with Bri and Roger. Good heavens I’m hooked on them too, and now I NEED TO KNOW WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.
I don’t know where book seven will lead, but I’m here for the ride. This review is short because it feels impossible to cover so much and convey to y’all to read it (without spoilers at this point). It’s entrancing, and will have you completely wrapped up.
Overall audience notes:
- Historical fiction romance
- Language: some strong throughout
- Romance: a handful of scenes ranging from kissing to open-door love scenes (brief and extended)
- Violence: see TW/CW below; physical altercations, guns, thievery
- Trigger/Content Warnings: rape, sexual harassment, sexual assault, slavery, torture, kidnapping, arson, murder (including a pregnant woman), suicide attempt, suicide ideation [I know I have missed some; please research and take caution before reading this series]
HI, THIS WAS THE CUTEST READ EVER.
Loved this. Super adorable and sweet. A quick read and just makes you smile.
Loved this. Super adorable and sweet. A quick read and just makes you smile.
