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stephsbooktalk's Reviews (915)
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Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you to Libro FM for a complimentary copy of this book!
I have been wanting to read Alexandria's work for a while and had this opportunity to listen to stand alone and took it. The reviews I had seen were all positive and it didn't let me down!
I thought this marriage of convenience was well done and I love that both female characters were successful from different ways of means. The beginning and the end was a little chaotic to follow and that could have been just the translation from text to audio but the middle was entertaining! It could have been because of the how many characters were involved and how they each seemed to play a role.
I love seeing how the relationship between Tansy and Gemma grew throughout the book. And them learning about each other kept me interested in listening.
The way that the narrator (done by Lauren Sweet) used her inflection throughout the book mixed with Bellefleur's words definitely had me blushing.
Definitely recommend!
I have been wanting to read Alexandria's work for a while and had this opportunity to listen to stand alone and took it. The reviews I had seen were all positive and it didn't let me down!
I thought this marriage of convenience was well done and I love that both female characters were successful from different ways of means. The beginning and the end was a little chaotic to follow and that could have been just the translation from text to audio but the middle was entertaining! It could have been because of the how many characters were involved and how they each seemed to play a role.
I love seeing how the relationship between Tansy and Gemma grew throughout the book. And them learning about each other kept me interested in listening.
The way that the narrator (done by Lauren Sweet) used her inflection throughout the book mixed with Bellefleur's words definitely had me blushing.
Definitely recommend!
Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you to Libro Fm for a complimentary copy of this audiobook!
“You remember the first time you fell in love with a celebrity, don’t you?”
This memoir was a quick listen that is narrated by the author.
Lee blends her up bringing to different pop culture moments that helped carry her along the way.
The most prominent pop culture icon that had been very important to her was none other than Bob Ross and his Joy of Painting tv show. It was something she would watch as a child that helped soothe her and comforted her during her father's illness and then death.
I did wish that there was more of a parallel between her life and pop culture. Sometimes it didn't feel like they went together with the exception of Bob Ross. I still enjoyed learning about her life & experiences as a child of Chinese immigrants in Canada.
Naturally I enjoyed the chapters on featuring Princess Diana's wedding, the Kardashians and Justin Bieber.
I will not be rating Non Fiction books as it is based on real events and real experiences.
“You remember the first time you fell in love with a celebrity, don’t you?”
This memoir was a quick listen that is narrated by the author.
Lee blends her up bringing to different pop culture moments that helped carry her along the way.
The most prominent pop culture icon that had been very important to her was none other than Bob Ross and his Joy of Painting tv show. It was something she would watch as a child that helped soothe her and comforted her during her father's illness and then death.
I did wish that there was more of a parallel between her life and pop culture. Sometimes it didn't feel like they went together with the exception of Bob Ross. I still enjoyed learning about her life & experiences as a child of Chinese immigrants in Canada.
Naturally I enjoyed the chapters on featuring Princess Diana's wedding, the Kardashians and Justin Bieber.
I will not be rating Non Fiction books as it is based on real events and real experiences.
Thank you so much to St Martin's Press & St Martin's Romance for an advance copy of this book!
This book will be published on May 2nd.
MY GOODNESS DID I LOVE THIS BOOK! The banter, the angst, the tension between the two characters was just perfection. Growing up I wanted to be a journalist who interviewed celebrities so that being Harper's career, I immediate gravitated towards her character.
"I will not let Ryan Jansson have the last word."
I had read The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall last year and loved it but that was more woman's fiction and not to compare but going into this I thought it was going to be the same but nope this is definitely a romance.
It definitely made me laugh and had some relatable moments (How Harper feels about Liam's snoring is equivalent to how I feel some nights with my husband) and Harper's messy desk chaotic energy.
Harper is a fantastic celebrity journalist and is constantly trying to get her voice heard by her misogynist boss. She has a way of talking to celebrities and getting their story across which plays a vital role throughout the whole book. Ryan was hired as features editor and suddenly thrust back into Harper's life. Because what no one in the office knows is that 11 years previously they had worked together as interns. This book is primarily told from present day but we do get flashback moments of when they were interns and how they came together & then eventually fell apart all in a weekend.
"My parents aren't idiots, Harper. They knew exactly who you were to me."
Ryan, Ryan,Ryan. Another book boyfriend to add to my list. Harper is such a force that poor Ryan didn't know what he was in for. He knew that she was not happy in her relationship [with Liam] and left bread crumbs of clues of how he felt. In a way I felt bad for him because he was put in some impossible lose-lose situations and Harper was the sadly the one left out each time. This was a slow burn romance but the tension and the teases kept me interested and excited to keep going ("I was crazy about you. I told you. Right from the moment we met."). I just love their chemistry and how opposite they are but yet it worked perfectly. Also who doesn't want a significant other that is a cheerleader & biggest supporter. Their relationship was gradual and selfishly I would have loved some more spicy bits but that is just because I loved them both as a couple.
Harper had a difficult relationship with her parents and she knew and accepted it even if she didn't like it. I am glad she made the decision to take a step back and do what was best for her mental health. I love that Ryan offered his support to be there with her during her family dinners. And then in contrast, I love how welcoming Ryan's parents had been to Harper. I was happy to see Harper's sister came around and that they were able to start a new relationship.
I have not read all of Katy's backlist (yet) but if they are any more like this, I need them in my life.
If you are a fan of workplace enemies to lovers such as The Hating Game & Just My Type, you will love this book!
This book will be published on May 2nd.
MY GOODNESS DID I LOVE THIS BOOK! The banter, the angst, the tension between the two characters was just perfection. Growing up I wanted to be a journalist who interviewed celebrities so that being Harper's career, I immediate gravitated towards her character.
"I will not let Ryan Jansson have the last word."
I had read The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall last year and loved it but that was more woman's fiction and not to compare but going into this I thought it was going to be the same but nope this is definitely a romance.
It definitely made me laugh and had some relatable moments (How Harper feels about Liam's snoring is equivalent to how I feel some nights with my husband) and Harper's messy desk chaotic energy.
Harper is a fantastic celebrity journalist and is constantly trying to get her voice heard by her misogynist boss. She has a way of talking to celebrities and getting their story across which plays a vital role throughout the whole book. Ryan was hired as features editor and suddenly thrust back into Harper's life. Because what no one in the office knows is that 11 years previously they had worked together as interns. This book is primarily told from present day but we do get flashback moments of when they were interns and how they came together & then eventually fell apart all in a weekend.
"My parents aren't idiots, Harper. They knew exactly who you were to me."
Ryan, Ryan,Ryan. Another book boyfriend to add to my list. Harper is such a force that poor Ryan didn't know what he was in for. He knew that she was not happy in her relationship [with Liam] and left bread crumbs of clues of how he felt. In a way I felt bad for him because he was put in some impossible lose-lose situations and Harper was the sadly the one left out each time. This was a slow burn romance but the tension and the teases kept me interested and excited to keep going ("I was crazy about you. I told you. Right from the moment we met."). I just love their chemistry and how opposite they are but yet it worked perfectly. Also who doesn't want a significant other that is a cheerleader & biggest supporter. Their relationship was gradual and selfishly I would have loved some more spicy bits but that is just because I loved them both as a couple.
Harper had a difficult relationship with her parents and she knew and accepted it even if she didn't like it. I am glad she made the decision to take a step back and do what was best for her mental health. I love that Ryan offered his support to be there with her during her family dinners. And then in contrast, I love how welcoming Ryan's parents had been to Harper. I was happy to see Harper's sister came around and that they were able to start a new relationship.
I have not read all of Katy's backlist (yet) but if they are any more like this, I need them in my life.
If you are a fan of workplace enemies to lovers such as The Hating Game & Just My Type, you will love this book!
Thank you so much to MacMillan audio for the gifted copy of this book!
First off, how gorgeous is this cover?! Just by looking at it you can tell how connected Ander & Santi are and their emotional connection. I definitely fell in love with the cover before I started listening to this book.
Ander is an artist who has taken a gap year and has plans to move to Chicago to pursue art but that all changes when he meets his replacement, Santiago, at his family's restaurant and as his time gets close where he needs to leave. He has to decide if it's worth risking it all for love.
I thought Garza Villa's description of the fears that undocumented Mexicans and the emotions were describe felt so raw for both Ander and Santi.
But overall this fell short for me. I really loved the beginning but then the story started to drag and it became really slow for me. So much would happen and then I'd look at my phone and I would still have hours left to go. My review is an exception as others have had a different reaction that is more favorable so please do not take in account only my review.
I did love the representation that was in the book and think it is important to continuously have queer love stories especially those in the Latin & Hispanic community.
The book was narrated by actor Avi Roque who I thought did a wonderful drop bringing the characters alive.
The writing itself was beautiful & I would read another one of Jonny's book and I am looking forward to a future author q&a with them that I have coming up.
First off, how gorgeous is this cover?! Just by looking at it you can tell how connected Ander & Santi are and their emotional connection. I definitely fell in love with the cover before I started listening to this book.
Ander is an artist who has taken a gap year and has plans to move to Chicago to pursue art but that all changes when he meets his replacement, Santiago, at his family's restaurant and as his time gets close where he needs to leave. He has to decide if it's worth risking it all for love.
I thought Garza Villa's description of the fears that undocumented Mexicans and the emotions were describe felt so raw for both Ander and Santi.
But overall this fell short for me. I really loved the beginning but then the story started to drag and it became really slow for me. So much would happen and then I'd look at my phone and I would still have hours left to go. My review is an exception as others have had a different reaction that is more favorable so please do not take in account only my review.
I did love the representation that was in the book and think it is important to continuously have queer love stories especially those in the Latin & Hispanic community.
The book was narrated by actor Avi Roque who I thought did a wonderful drop bringing the characters alive.
The writing itself was beautiful & I would read another one of Jonny's book and I am looking forward to a future author q&a with them that I have coming up.
Thank you so much to Harper Audio & Harper Perennial for an advance copy of this book!
This book will be published on May 2nd.
I was super excited to read this just knowing that some of it took place in New Orleans at a bachelorette party. Because honestly what could go wrong? And this did not let me down! I absolutely loved it and was sucked into the cat and mouse game of Serena trying to find Julian with whom she met at a bar and had an instant connection with. In serendipitous moment, when talking to Julian she finds out that he is not from Louisiana but Washington state and is not far away from where she lives in Seattle. Can she find him to see if their connection was the real deal or just a night of harmless flirting?
I recently learned the difference between romance and women's lit and I think I would classify this more so on the women's lit side. While there is romance in the beginning and at the end, the middle was more of Serena figuring out what she wants for herself as she approaches her 30th birthday. She broke up with a guy she was supposed to (eventually) marry, she quits her steady job and suddenly doesn't know what she wants all while trying to find this mystery. man she met in New Orleans.
Serena had put this pressure on herself to be a certain way to somehow not let down her deceased mother but had a looming interview for "Life at Thirty" from UW Daily (a publication at her alma mater). All the articles she had read previously shows well put together adults who knew what they wanted and she just wasn't altogether which is more of the norm than not. Heck even for myself at 35, I still have no plan for the future. I do not think one deep down doesn't ever really know. As Tubati-Alexander writes, "Thirty is not a magical number. It's not a litmus test for when we should have our lives in order. And what does "in order" really mean, anyway?"
My only qualm with the book was that is that I selfishly wanted just a smidge more of Serena and Julian.
In addition to reading the physical book, I paired it with the audio. It was narrated by Deepa Samuel and I thought she did a wonderful job!! They altered their voice depending on the character and made the listening experience better.
Also how cool is that the title of this book comes from an expected source - a Nirvana song! And after looking up the lyrics, I can totally see how perfect it is!
Bravo debut Neely!
This book will be published on May 2nd.
I was super excited to read this just knowing that some of it took place in New Orleans at a bachelorette party. Because honestly what could go wrong? And this did not let me down! I absolutely loved it and was sucked into the cat and mouse game of Serena trying to find Julian with whom she met at a bar and had an instant connection with. In serendipitous moment, when talking to Julian she finds out that he is not from Louisiana but Washington state and is not far away from where she lives in Seattle. Can she find him to see if their connection was the real deal or just a night of harmless flirting?
I recently learned the difference between romance and women's lit and I think I would classify this more so on the women's lit side. While there is romance in the beginning and at the end, the middle was more of Serena figuring out what she wants for herself as she approaches her 30th birthday. She broke up with a guy she was supposed to (eventually) marry, she quits her steady job and suddenly doesn't know what she wants all while trying to find this mystery. man she met in New Orleans.
Serena had put this pressure on herself to be a certain way to somehow not let down her deceased mother but had a looming interview for "Life at Thirty" from UW Daily (a publication at her alma mater). All the articles she had read previously shows well put together adults who knew what they wanted and she just wasn't altogether which is more of the norm than not. Heck even for myself at 35, I still have no plan for the future. I do not think one deep down doesn't ever really know. As Tubati-Alexander writes, "Thirty is not a magical number. It's not a litmus test for when we should have our lives in order. And what does "in order" really mean, anyway?"
My only qualm with the book was that is that I selfishly wanted just a smidge more of Serena and Julian.
In addition to reading the physical book, I paired it with the audio. It was narrated by Deepa Samuel and I thought she did a wonderful job!! They altered their voice depending on the character and made the listening experience better.
Also how cool is that the title of this book comes from an expected source - a Nirvana song! And after looking up the lyrics, I can totally see how perfect it is!
Bravo debut Neely!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for an advance copy of this book!
This book was published on April 18th.
I thought the audio for this went by really quick & there was always lots going on at once. Compared to another recent Hollywood sapphic audiobook, I definitely enjoyed this one more. Essentially Luna has lived out my fantasy, working in Hollywood behind the scenes, meeting a celeb and then form a relationship with them. Sounds perfect on paper don't it? But of course things are never easy.
Luna just came out bisexual to her friends which includes a guy that she just broke up with and her best friend Romy who also is queer. There were a lot of changes that happened at once for Luna. I realized early on (& didn't even catch on to the cover giving me a clue) that there was going to be a love triangle in some way. There were clues along the way that the author snuck in there.
The reviews for this either lean one way or the other and for myself I am right in the middle. This didn't blow me away like some other queer books that I have read but also I was invested and had to keep listening even if I knew where things were heading. This definitely teeder the line of feeling YA but also had adult elements to it (I guess the proper term is New Adult?).
I really liked the narrator and thought she did a good job with all the characters!
I will still be recommending and I think readers would enjoy this and possibly relate to Luna's character.
PS - This cover is absolutely STUNNING.
This book was published on April 18th.
I thought the audio for this went by really quick & there was always lots going on at once. Compared to another recent Hollywood sapphic audiobook, I definitely enjoyed this one more. Essentially Luna has lived out my fantasy, working in Hollywood behind the scenes, meeting a celeb and then form a relationship with them. Sounds perfect on paper don't it? But of course things are never easy.
Luna just came out bisexual to her friends which includes a guy that she just broke up with and her best friend Romy who also is queer. There were a lot of changes that happened at once for Luna. I realized early on (& didn't even catch on to the cover giving me a clue) that there was going to be a love triangle in some way. There were clues along the way that the author snuck in there.
The reviews for this either lean one way or the other and for myself I am right in the middle. This didn't blow me away like some other queer books that I have read but also I was invested and had to keep listening even if I knew where things were heading. This definitely teeder the line of feeling YA but also had adult elements to it (I guess the proper term is New Adult?).
I really liked the narrator and thought she did a good job with all the characters!
I will still be recommending and I think readers would enjoy this and possibly relate to Luna's character.
PS - This cover is absolutely STUNNING.
Thank you so much to MacMillan audio for providing me an advance copy of the audio for this book!
This is my third TJ Klune book and he has such a knack for writing about found family that this one is added to that list!
"In the lives of puppets there’s always a butt that spoils everything."
I do wish I had the physical copy to go along with the audio. Moreso because my brain doesn't allow me to picture what is being read to me. But I was able to follow this one for the most part which I was happy about!
This book had a little of everything, mystery, action sequences, romance, friendship, family. This is pegged as a Pinocchio retelling which it definitely has that element but at one point I felt like there was a little Wizard of Oz in there as well.
I thought the premise of the book was so different and Klune as always has such a unique way of writing and telling his stories that it's easy to get pulled in. And just like with his more recent books, you latch on to the characters and constantly are rooting for them. I'm very excited to see how artists will draw these characters because I have such an image of my head of them all. Nurse Ratchet reminded me of Rosie from The Jetson, Rambo is a Roomba but with arms(?), HAP & Gio were a little harder for me to picture so that is one that I'm excited to see a drawing of.
"All beings deserve a chance to find out what life could be when they don’t serve others."
The narrator Daniel Henning did such a great job putting his own spin on the characters giving them such distinguish voices that it made listening so much fun! I could not help but laugh whenever Rambo spoke because it was just so perfect! I did not do the audio for Cerulean Sea but I saw that he did the narration for that book which I can only imagine how well he did those characters. Bravo Daniel!
There were definitely times I found myself laughing at the dialogue and the narration just made it even more comical. I just loved how much they all loved each other and that when Gio was captured, they worked together to get him back to his family. I think fans of Klune will really enjoy this one.
This is definitely a favorite of mine and will be recommending!!
I also think this could be a fun one for book club discussions.
This is my third TJ Klune book and he has such a knack for writing about found family that this one is added to that list!
"In the lives of puppets there’s always a butt that spoils everything."
I do wish I had the physical copy to go along with the audio. Moreso because my brain doesn't allow me to picture what is being read to me. But I was able to follow this one for the most part which I was happy about!
This book had a little of everything, mystery, action sequences, romance, friendship, family. This is pegged as a Pinocchio retelling which it definitely has that element but at one point I felt like there was a little Wizard of Oz in there as well.
I thought the premise of the book was so different and Klune as always has such a unique way of writing and telling his stories that it's easy to get pulled in. And just like with his more recent books, you latch on to the characters and constantly are rooting for them. I'm very excited to see how artists will draw these characters because I have such an image of my head of them all. Nurse Ratchet reminded me of Rosie from The Jetson, Rambo is a Roomba but with arms(?), HAP & Gio were a little harder for me to picture so that is one that I'm excited to see a drawing of.
"All beings deserve a chance to find out what life could be when they don’t serve others."
The narrator Daniel Henning did such a great job putting his own spin on the characters giving them such distinguish voices that it made listening so much fun! I could not help but laugh whenever Rambo spoke because it was just so perfect! I did not do the audio for Cerulean Sea but I saw that he did the narration for that book which I can only imagine how well he did those characters. Bravo Daniel!
There were definitely times I found myself laughing at the dialogue and the narration just made it even more comical. I just loved how much they all loved each other and that when Gio was captured, they worked together to get him back to his family. I think fans of Klune will really enjoy this one.
This is definitely a favorite of mine and will be recommending!!
I also think this could be a fun one for book club discussions.
Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for an advance copy of this book!
Carley Fortune has become an autobuy author for me here in 2023! I knew all about the buzz over Every Summer After last summer and bought the book immediately. And like every book influencer or reader will tell you that the to be read just grows and grows. But finally this spring, I read Every Summer After and was pulled into this Canadian summer vibe.
This book was no exception. After going to a book retreat at a resort that reminded me of the Brookbanks resort, I immediately had this picture in my head of how beautiful the landscape of it all was.
"It was my mom who saved my life, but it was Will who helped me figure out how to make it my own."
Just like its predecessor, Meet Me At the Lake is told in two timelines - current and past. Fern Brookbanks returns back to the one place she didn't think she would ever go back to. After her mother's death she was left with a resort that had been with her family for generations. She needs to decide if she wants to sell or keep the legacy going. Then a man from her past appears at the resort to help come up with a business plan to "save the resort" and all the feelings she buried 10 years ago comes back.
I actually thought we were going to get a love triangle at the start of this which I am so happy that was not the case. I thought it was refreshing to see a healthy relationship between two exes. Jamie seems like such a great guy and I'm glad he remained that way throughout the book. Even though we dodged a bullet with the love triangle trope, this book does not shy away from the miscommunication trope.
Fern & Will's relationship in the present time was interesting. As mentioned above a lot of the issues that they faced could have been solved with a really deep conversation. They have had many conversations but none that were of the real deep importance. She had been very upset with Will that he did not show up 9 years prior after they made plans to reconnect and they just never talked about it. In the last quarter of the book, communication was something that Will especially struggled with. Not sure if I fully bought the way things came together in the end (I don't want to say because of spoilers) but I guess it make sense. I did love seeing their story build between the past and the present. And the epilogue was just so incredibly beautiful!!!
In romances, it is not often you learn something new but I did learn that there was something called postpartum OCD. And that this not only occurs in new birth parents but also those that adopt and take on a parent role. And I love that Fortune gave this not to Sofia's mother but to the uncle who stepped in and helped his sister and child.
"I want to tell her I'm going to stay. I want to ask her for advice. I want her to tell me how proud she is. I want my mom."
I'm always fascinated by how authors take on the topic of grief in books. And from what I have read in recent times, they are all different which is how grief is. I thought Fern was incredibly strong but also had her moments where she wanted her mom and is angry (as she should be). I love that this touched on those teen years where I think majority of us have those complex relationships with our mothers. But I know for myself I had to get through those years to see how special the adult relationship is with her and I appreciate that especially with friends who have lost their mothers at a young age. Fern knows how special the resort is and can feel that connection with her mom there. We also got to know her mom through her journal entries which in some ways paralleled Fern's life.
And everyone, if you know me you know I have been trying to find a book that will melt my icy heart and I am happy to report I did shed a couple of tears from this. I am not sure if it was a mix of the emotions from the book and the subconscious feeling I had going to my first baby shower since my miscarriages (and post pandemic) and just the idea of my parents aging. I also finished this in the wee hours during an insomnia moment so there was a mix of different things but it hit me.
I will be recommending this to all my romance lover reader friends!
Carley Fortune has become an autobuy author for me here in 2023! I knew all about the buzz over Every Summer After last summer and bought the book immediately. And like every book influencer or reader will tell you that the to be read just grows and grows. But finally this spring, I read Every Summer After and was pulled into this Canadian summer vibe.
This book was no exception. After going to a book retreat at a resort that reminded me of the Brookbanks resort, I immediately had this picture in my head of how beautiful the landscape of it all was.
"It was my mom who saved my life, but it was Will who helped me figure out how to make it my own."
Just like its predecessor, Meet Me At the Lake is told in two timelines - current and past. Fern Brookbanks returns back to the one place she didn't think she would ever go back to. After her mother's death she was left with a resort that had been with her family for generations. She needs to decide if she wants to sell or keep the legacy going. Then a man from her past appears at the resort to help come up with a business plan to "save the resort" and all the feelings she buried 10 years ago comes back.
I actually thought we were going to get a love triangle at the start of this which I am so happy that was not the case. I thought it was refreshing to see a healthy relationship between two exes. Jamie seems like such a great guy and I'm glad he remained that way throughout the book. Even though we dodged a bullet with the love triangle trope, this book does not shy away from the miscommunication trope.
Fern & Will's relationship in the present time was interesting. As mentioned above a lot of the issues that they faced could have been solved with a really deep conversation. They have had many conversations but none that were of the real deep importance. She had been very upset with Will that he did not show up 9 years prior after they made plans to reconnect and they just never talked about it. In the last quarter of the book, communication was something that Will especially struggled with. Not sure if I fully bought the way things came together in the end (I don't want to say because of spoilers) but I guess it make sense. I did love seeing their story build between the past and the present. And the epilogue was just so incredibly beautiful!!!
In romances, it is not often you learn something new but I did learn that there was something called postpartum OCD. And that this not only occurs in new birth parents but also those that adopt and take on a parent role. And I love that Fortune gave this not to Sofia's mother but to the uncle who stepped in and helped his sister and child.
"I want to tell her I'm going to stay. I want to ask her for advice. I want her to tell me how proud she is. I want my mom."
I'm always fascinated by how authors take on the topic of grief in books. And from what I have read in recent times, they are all different which is how grief is. I thought Fern was incredibly strong but also had her moments where she wanted her mom and is angry (as she should be). I love that this touched on those teen years where I think majority of us have those complex relationships with our mothers. But I know for myself I had to get through those years to see how special the adult relationship is with her and I appreciate that especially with friends who have lost their mothers at a young age. Fern knows how special the resort is and can feel that connection with her mom there. We also got to know her mom through her journal entries which in some ways paralleled Fern's life.
And everyone, if you know me you know I have been trying to find a book that will melt my icy heart and I am happy to report I did shed a couple of tears from this. I am not sure if it was a mix of the emotions from the book and the subconscious feeling I had going to my first baby shower since my miscarriages (and post pandemic) and just the idea of my parents aging. I also finished this in the wee hours during an insomnia moment so there was a mix of different things but it hit me.
I will be recommending this to all my romance lover reader friends!
Thank you so much to Anchor Books, Penguin Random House and PRH Audio for an advance copy of this book!
This book came out on April 18th.
Brendan Slocumb made me a fan of classical theme books with a mystery! This story is told from two timelines - present day and the early 20s. I really loved the main character Bern and his passion for not only music but the legacy of (fictional) composer Frederick Delaney. But while researching a possibly missing piece of music he learns that the work could possibly be stolen and was actually composed by a young black woman.
This book had so much in it - the mystery of Josephine Reed, racism, police brutality, power dynamic. Despite the size of the book (almost 500 pages) I thought the pacing was really well done and I wanted to keep going. At one point the POVs shifted and it just made me even more intrigued because of the cliffhangers that would happen at the end of each POV. Just like with Slocumb's debut, I continued to learn about classical music & it brought me back to music class learning the works of composers. The detail of how Josephine came up with the music was fascinating.
In addition to reading the physical book, I paired it with the audio. Perhaps a female narrator was chosen to amplify the silenced Josephine Reed but I thought having two narrators for the male and female characters would have been a great element. With that being said I still thought Chanté McCormick did a great job with the narration.
I definitely will be checking out more of Brendan's work as he releases as I was impressed by both The Violin Conspiracy and this one.
This book came out on April 18th.
Brendan Slocumb made me a fan of classical theme books with a mystery! This story is told from two timelines - present day and the early 20s. I really loved the main character Bern and his passion for not only music but the legacy of (fictional) composer Frederick Delaney. But while researching a possibly missing piece of music he learns that the work could possibly be stolen and was actually composed by a young black woman.
This book had so much in it - the mystery of Josephine Reed, racism, police brutality, power dynamic. Despite the size of the book (almost 500 pages) I thought the pacing was really well done and I wanted to keep going. At one point the POVs shifted and it just made me even more intrigued because of the cliffhangers that would happen at the end of each POV. Just like with Slocumb's debut, I continued to learn about classical music & it brought me back to music class learning the works of composers. The detail of how Josephine came up with the music was fascinating.
In addition to reading the physical book, I paired it with the audio. Perhaps a female narrator was chosen to amplify the silenced Josephine Reed but I thought having two narrators for the male and female characters would have been a great element. With that being said I still thought Chanté McCormick did a great job with the narration.
I definitely will be checking out more of Brendan's work as he releases as I was impressed by both The Violin Conspiracy and this one.
Give me all the Hollywood romances (I know I have 3 more coming up in the next month or two so yay)! I will admit the beginning kind of threw me off and I was confused as to what was happening (this also could very well have been work distracting me). But once I could pick up the pieces and put everything together, I was on my way!
I love that Nina was curvaceous and dressed for her body and was confident in herself. And she was instantly attracted to Ari the moment she saw her. Ari just seemed so cool & I probably would like her as a celeb had she been real. I understand the hesitation with starting a relationship with another actress but at the same time she had to known they were different people and things would not be like it was before. And also I thought it was weird that she secluded herself so much after her last relationship ended that her friends thought she died?! I did love Nina's relationship with her aunt; their interactions were really cute!
This was an enjoyable read but I have enjoyed other sapphic romances a tad bit more.
I would still recommend & will be reading more from this author.
I love that Nina was curvaceous and dressed for her body and was confident in herself. And she was instantly attracted to Ari the moment she saw her. Ari just seemed so cool & I probably would like her as a celeb had she been real. I understand the hesitation with starting a relationship with another actress but at the same time she had to known they were different people and things would not be like it was before. And also I thought it was weird that she secluded herself so much after her last relationship ended that her friends thought she died?! I did love Nina's relationship with her aunt; their interactions were really cute!
This was an enjoyable read but I have enjoyed other sapphic romances a tad bit more.
I would still recommend & will be reading more from this author.