mrsalwaysreading's Reviews (624)

The Forbidden King (Heir of Atlantis 1.5) 

By S.T. Fernandez 

Ok. So full transparency, I didn't read book 1. I skimmed enough that I would have an understanding of this novella prior to reading it. It has been my experience that 1.5's are better than book 1's, so I thought if I enjoyed this, l'd give book 1 a full 'go. 

This book was good!! 

There is all the romantasy must-haves: mate bonds, human/fae, ALL THE SPICE, intrigue and adventure. 

Thank you 

@haylingbookstorm and@stfernandezwrites for the opportunity to read this novella before it's release!

The Songbird of Heart and Stone

Crowns of Nyaxia 3

By Carissa Broadbent

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Mische wasn’t my favorite character in the first two books but I’m glad she got her moment. 

There were times during her quest to the underworld that felt… recycled? Or maybe deeply inspired by every other headed-to-the-underworld-to-see-a-god story. Anyway, I felt like I had read it before and it was a little boring and predictable. 

There was some action, a little bit of enemies-to-lovers spice and a cliffhanger that we all knew was coming because this isn’t the end of the series. 

It was good. And if you read the first two, this fits. But it wasn’t amazing. 

I really enjoy Alice Feeney’s books. She is a masterful author of shocking twists. 

Beautiful Ugly is no exception. 

This book will have you questioning everything you thought that you knew about the characters. 

Who can you trust? 

Who can you believe? 

Who is the villian? 

Who is the victim? 

Does a place like Amberley exist somewhere out there… 

A best selling author’s wife disappears, along with money from their bank account and his motivation to continue to write. 

He is given a chance to write in a secluded cabin on a tiny Scottish island. 

What he discovers and the truths he has to face make you question everything you’ve been told about his story (and hers!) from both POVs. 

I was provided an advanced audio copy of this book from NetGalley and MacMillian Audio in exchange for my opinion. 

A Better Engagement

Novella

By Ellory Douglas 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Everything I wanted in A Better Proposal and didn’t get!

The spice. 

The story.

The redemption. 

The punch to Connor’s effing face. 

The Happily Ever After. 

Thank you SunnyBabe PR for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own. 

A Better Proposal

By Ellory Douglas 

⭐️⭐️⭐️.8

A steamy (not spicy) romance about a former college TA - turned hot PhD client, and an emotional-abuse surviving panic-attack-having anxious girl boss. 

The story of Jill and Alex felt real - an accurate representation of what healthy relationships look like. 

I liked the story, the plot, the back-and-forth and the slow burn. 

I didn’t like the backlog of information that felt like it went on forever. There were a couple chapters that felt like they went on forever and didn’t advance the story. 

Overall, I’d give it a solid B grade. Not quite 4 stars but I’ll round up…

Thank you SunnyBabe PR for the copy of this book, ahead of the Novella: A Better Engagement. All opinions are my own. 

Spectacular

By Stephanie Garber

Caraval Novella

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

File this under ‘lackluster’. 

Could I have lived without this short piece of fluff? Absolutely. 

This novella felt like a money-grab for the holiday season. 

There was no point. It didn’t add anything to the Caraval series. 

But I love Legend. So so much. And the note at the end made the hour I spent reading this worth it. 

Night Circus

By Erin Morgenstern

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Honestly, I didn’t have high hopes for this book because I loved Caraval. 

This book hooked me in the first couple chapters and I needed to know what happened. The writing style, the dialogue between characters, the plot and the timelines… so good! 

I am in the throes of finishing 6 eARCs but being the mood reader that I am, I grabbed this off the shelf after Glow and just went for it.

Kinda wished I looked into the audiobook because just imagining a tenor like Michael Cane reading this to me? *swoon*

It did get bogged down about 60% in and I just kind of wanted them to get on with it… other than that, it was a great standalone and all the loose ends are accounted for. 

Christmas Murders

By S.F. Baumgartner 

eARC

⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all, thank you Bookworm Books for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own. 

(1) it is hard to impress me with a female cop centered character. 

(2) this novella was very plot-driven and lacked character development. 

(3) this is my own professional opinion, from experience: things in murder investigations just don’t move that fast. The story wasn’t really believable and that made me enjoy it less than I would have if I didn’t have the job I do. 

Unless you’re a cop, you’ll enjoy this if you enjoy murder mysteries or thrillers. 

Keeping You

By Alex Taylor

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don’t really like the typical romance scene. I need dragons and war to combat the warm fuzzies. 

But this book was good! At first I was skeptical, but reading the backstory of Maxwell and Hannah really sold me. 

It was believable. It was honest. It was well written. It wasn’t just fluffy, there was real-world trauma which added depth and made this boo stand out. 

If you’re into the spicy romance genre, to get this book! It’s out now on Kindle Unlimited and in paperback! 

Thanks to @sunnybabepr for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own. 

Glow

By Raven Kennedy

Played Prisoner Book 4 / 6

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Seven Hundred and Ninety Two pages. 

Ok. Remember when I said that the thought of reading 600+ page books to get to the end of the series seemed overwhelming? 

Yeah. Apparently I forgot that part, too. 

I really loved the beginning of this series.

In Gleam, book 3, Midas died and we were left wondering who would run his kingdom. 

Everyone thinks Auren syphoned Midas’ powers. King Rot saves the day. 

AND WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED IN BOOK FOUR? 

I’ll tell you. A bunch of nothing and then 100 pages of OMG, ending in another cliffhanger. 

[Truth be told, I’d give that last hundred pages five stars]

I hate Rissa (and Polly)… They don’t deserve happiness or page time in this book, and definitely not the chapters in Rissa’s POV. I hate that everyone is willfully ignoring the shitstorm happening due to Auren’s moment of bravery. 

And WTF, Auren?! You were so brave and then immediately in this book, you became a whiney baby for 500 pages. Then those last couple chapters happen and you sink. Straight up sink. 

Will I read book 5? 

Probably. 

But I need a break.