WHAT A DEBUT.

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I have been waiting to get my hands on this book and it did not disappoint. I absolutely loved this.

For a book that does have a good bit of violence the romance was SOOOOFT. And I loved it!! It was this great contrast against the larger story. I loooved Cayden and his protective ways while always making sure Elowen saw her worth. Elowen was an amazing character on her own. I loved that she was infallible and demanded communication. She strove for support and the loyalty she has to revenge the wrongs done to her. Top notch chemistry between the them and an awesome storyline.

And I LOVED the friendships!! They added such depth to all of the characters and I loved how they worked together towards their goals. All the action and politicking, twists and turns. I did not want to put this down.

The dragons are a slow burn aspect on this one (but will be present in the next book much more!!). I look forward to seeing where this series goes.

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: 3-4 open door
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, battle and war themes, torture, mentions of sexual assault (recounted), torture, physical and weapons violence 

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

PERFECT FOR SUMMER.

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This was a fun take on the road trip trope and I appreciate that I never felt like it was dragging over the miles and miles traveled. There were a lot of humorous stops and kitschy things to see and the pages really did fly by.

I struggled a bit with the FMC, Maddie. I will say that I did see growth from her as the book went on. But those initial chapters + the flashbacks had me seeing a very uneven relationship dynamic that I didn’t love. I’m grateful she acknowledged those things in the end and was able to, at last, communicate and help Simon.

Simon was an absolute gem. I adored his personality, nature and everything in between. He was sweet, supportive and kind. The one bed was used immaculately here and that first kiss? YES SIR.

An enjoyable read that has such a great summertime vibe to it. I loved seeing Lauren and Will too.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Trigger/Content Warnings: strained parent relationships 

I’M A SUCKER.

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I’ve read quuuite a few Mimi Matthews books now and I will say, she does use some of the same tropes/characters every few books. BUT, I am a sucker for a wounded hero and a woman on the run and quite frankly, it still hasn’t gotten old so HURRAH.

I loved this book. Fantastic chemistry, a bit of suspense and the right level of drama. I adored the connection between Justin and Helena. They were such a match and had me all swoony. I love the protection and communication and working things out even when things got hard.

It’s a fast audio read and had me all up in my romantic feels. Excited to continue this series!

Overall audience notes:
- Historical Romance
- Language: very little
- Romance: closed door (married couple)
- Violence: moderate
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, mentions of asylums and mistreatment, mentions of battles, grief depiction 

SOFTEST PIRATES.

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Don’t ask me how I’m smitten with the softest pirates ever, but apparently I’m trying to balance all of the dark and bloody fantasies I’m usually reading.

This was a good middle book that carried the plot well. I liked the direction of the story and that it was multi-POV. The romance is still the sweetest and just makes you smile. There’s some good twists and I was genuinely curious where things were going to go.

I’m definitely interested in the next book and want to know how things conclude. I enjoy these characters and the high seas adventures. You never know quite who’s good and who’s bad.

Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: low
- Trigger/Content Warnings: physical altercations, loss of life 

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.

DID NOT LET ME DOWN.

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You know when you’re waiting for your most anticipated 2023 release and that Netgalley approval finally comes through? THIS IS THAT BOOK FOR ME.

And I loved it. I loved it so much. I am constantly pulled in by Chloe Gong’s writing style and the way she tells a story. Captivated by this spy/agent thriller and all of the relationships in between.

LET ME TELL Y’ALL. The romances are subtle, they are not the main plot, but gosh dang it, I was absolutely smitten with ALL OF THEM (and there’s three so YAY). Every nuanced look or little touch, the glances and swoony confessions and kisses. I ate it all up. Surrounding the romances are such loyal and strong sibling and friendship bonds. I love that this has a found family vibe where everyone was looked after, old friends showed up, and past grievances were resolved.

The plot is entertaining and gasp inducing. I loooove that it’s a multi-POV set up and the flow from character to character. The betrayals and losses, the way my husband asked me if I was going to bed soon and I responded with, I’m at 85% and I don’t know who’s going to survive so NO I AM NOT. My emotions have been invoked, my love for this series is intense and I beg of y’all to give it a chance.

Overall audience notes:
- YA Historical Fiction + Fantasy
- Language: little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, murder, gun violence, weapons and physical violence, bombings, war themes, torture, medical experimentation, amnesia 

Full review to come!

Thank you LibroFM for the gifted audiobook.

HIT ME IN THE FEELS.

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I wasn’t expecting this book to hit on so many personal things in my own soul. As someone who’s always struggled to connect and make lasting friendships, I could not get enough of Isadora’s journey and loved seeing her grow and struggle and ultimately find the happiness she had been searching for.

It’s not heavy on the romance, but it is there, and it is SWEET. I adored the relationship and even with the third act break-up, it worked. I loved all of the sweet, soft moments and how they learned to be there for each other.

And I LOVED all of Isadora’s new friends, young and old. It was absolutely heart-warming and made me misty eyed over and over again.

The audiobook was stellar and I’m so grateful I got to listen to that option.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Fiction + Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of loss of a loved one (side character), an emotionally manipulative/gaslighting ex, strained parental relationship 

WELL.

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I honestly don’t know what to think of this series but this ending was wild enough that I’ll give it four stars (I was hovering around 3-3.5). The audiobooks are good at least and I’m entertained to some degree.

First, these are definitely upper YA, basically NA reads. Which is fine for me, I read it all, but worth noting for those who don’t.

This kind of went the same way as Stealing Infinity. Go to a location, steal some stuff, don’t die, make it back. And that repetitive nature wore me down for a lot of the book. The romantic love triangle though? Has me in a chokehold. I’m honestly still not quite sure where this is going and I like that I keep flipping back and forth right now. Bring the drama.

I’m curious enough to see what happens next and I wonder how things will continue to play out. Hopefully this series wraps up in the next book???

Overall audience notes:
- NA Historical Fiction/Sci-Fi Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: two almost scenes with vague descriptions
- Violence: moderate
- Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, loss of loved ones, physical altercations

 

BETTER OVER TIME.

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I was worried for a bit that this might become my new least favorite MZ book. Luckily I do think the second half saved the day and I was pretty smitten with this story.

Jonah was something else. Oh my goodness I adored him. I looooove how he came in, tried his best, apologized for his transgressions and made an honest effort to love and support Lena and the situation before him. And those small jealousy and protection moments? MY FAV. I did like Lena a lot too. While I wish she didn’t cuss so much in the first half (it really felt out of control), I liked seeing her character progression too. A loyal and loving woman who was impressively open to what would be best for her circumstances.

I felt like there was a bit less romance than I was expecting or hoped for? It didn’t give me as many swoony moments as my heart wanted. And the first 50% of this book was SLOW.

The ending was absolutely heart squeezing good and even made my tear up. ALL THE FEELS.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: very strong
- Romance: 2 open; high explicit
- Violence: low
- Trigger/Content Warnings: parental abandonment, loss of a loved one 

WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

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I willingly went into this knowing there was a love triangle because I was feeling the angst that trope brings. What I wasn’t expecting were a bunch of other tropes/plot devices that I usually am not a big fan of to just work for me here. A true testament to Masterson’s writing ability because I was very much involved in wanting to know what was going to happen next.

There’s some good tidbits involved with the plot and magic system, but I will say there’s also a lot of plot holes. Did it bother me that much? Honestly, no. I do have questions though and would like some answers.

The insta-love here is in your face and you’ve gotta roll with it. Xander somehow endeared himself to me and everyone around him. I think I’m a bigger fan of Rainer though. There’s something there and I know it. WHY HAVE I DONE THIS TO MYSELF.

Anyways, catch me reading the second book because I’m a glutton for personal punishment.

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: 4 open; low-moderate explicit
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, kidnapping, near death experiences, battle themes