morganthebee's Reviews (489)

If I Told You, I'd Have to Kiss You is a fun, fabulous, high stakes adventure, with smoking chemistry and a cast of characters I loved. 

Recently-split Yardley and KC are both still in love with each other, they just don't know how to navigate a relationship that's been built on the secret they've both had to keep from each other: they're both secret agents of the CIA. A mission gone wrong brings them together and reveals the truth, and now they're forced to work together to save the mission, and hopefully their relationship along the way.

Yardley and KC are both wildly competent in their areas of expertise (and damn it's sexy), and I really loved how the authors handled their heartache and love for each other while keeping the mission at the forefront. The side characters were all interesting, and the story was engaging with realistic dialogue. I'll definitely be reading more from Mae Marvel!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily. 

Before I get into my review of The Siren’s Song, a TW: if you’re particularly sensitive about SA, you might want to read the information behind this spoiler about a section that might be difficult to read, and how to skip past it.

In chapter 7, there are approximately two pages that recount a character’s assault, and although it is not particularly descriptive, it is very obvious what she’s going through. If you want to skip this, stop reading at the paragraph that begins with “I remembered every moment of the day”, move forward about two pages and begin again when you see a single-line paragraph reading, “The hands finally let go.”

 

Whew. Okay, now that I’ve got that out of the way: I highly enjoyed The Siren’s Song and devoured it in a day. It starts off from Rayana’s perspective and largely continues that way, with the exception of two chapters, until we get to chapter 24, where it begins (mostly) alternating between Coralina and Rayana. There is some nice sapphic romance (two sapphic romances, actually), but the spice is implied so don’t expect anything more than kissing on page. 

We’re immersed in a world where holy “Saints” rule, women and girls are second class, and people live in fear of the sirens born from “sinning” women. The worldbuilding was great and the plot was interesting. I enjoyed that the main story was wrapped up nicely, but we’re left with an obvious path forward in this universe. I loved not only Rayana and Coralina, but also the other side characters, from the awesome pirates to the sirens. Could some of the characters have been developed a little more? Sure. Could there have been a bit more time spent on some relationship development in the latter half of the book? Yes. Was it still a great read? Totally. 

I received a free ARC from BookSirens, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily. 

I listened to the audiobook of All Fired Up by M. K. England, which was narrated by Angel Pean and Kristen DiMercurio. I love both narrators, and while I wouldn't have thought to put them together on a project, it totally worked. They were well-balanced and, as always, gave great performances.  

As for the story, it’s an adorable romcom full of self-discovery, found family, and a good bit of heat. Nicole—or Nic—has been in love with her college best friend Skylar for years. She’s been away at graduate school for fire dynamics, but has returned home to Seattle and the fold to find that Skylar’s planning a big (and, in everyone but Skylar’s eyes, reckless) move to Fiji. Nic teams up with Kira, a firefighter who Skylar met and brought into their friend group while she was away, to try to prevent what they see as a big mistake. The more time they spend together, though, the more obvious it becomes that the chemistry between them is...well, fire. 

I loved how the relationship between Kira and Nic developed, and the discoveries they helped each other make as they went. Those self-discoveries are really the key to the story, and they’re handled smoothly without rushing things or bogging them down. I enjoyed the friend group, although I felt like they weren’t as fully developed as I would have liked. Skylar was a particularly interesting character, always underestimated by the people around her, and I would love to see a story focused on her. 

I received a free ARC from NetGalley, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.

Okay look: Ariana Jade (AKA Arizona Tape) isn't who you're going to read if you're looking for deep, thoughtful epics, she's who you're going to for fun, cozy, quick reads, and The Coffee House Witch & The Grumpy Cat is right in line with that. 

As the initial installment of the Cobblestone Coven serial, the story is a sweet, low-angst introduction to Cobblestone and the main players. We get meet Cassie, our lovely protagonist, as she returns to Cobblestone and her grandmother's coffeehouse after a breakup. Through her we meet her gran and a couple of cousins, a few townspeople, and her childhood best friend Faye, who harbors feelings for Cassie. There are also familiars, including her gran's cat Betty and the titular Grumpy Cat (not his real name). 

The story doesn't delve too far into the main plot of the story, but it didn't really need to just yet. Based on her past serials we'll get there with the next installment, which I will happily read. 

I received a free ARC from the author, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.