the_cover_contessa's Reviews (1.75k)

Thank you to Penguin Group Viking Penguin and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I will be honest, I had no idea what this book was about. I saw Stiefvater's name on it, knew I loved all her previous works, and decided it didn't matter and I'd give it a chance. I'm so glad I did. It was totally different from what I know from her and a great joy to read.
Normally, historical fiction is not my cup of tea. I struggle with it, especially for the WWII time period. However, this one was totally different from other WWII books I've read. While it does take place during that time period and the basis of the book revolves around what was happening during the war, it was about so much more than that. It was about relationships and how they grow and change, morphing into what you need when you need it. It was also about priorities and putting yourself before others while still showing empathy and care for those who surround you.
The history of the government using large hotels as a house for captured Nazi's in America was fascinating. I knew this happened but I didn't know to what extent. 
June's point of view delves into the daily routines of the hotel, catering to it's guests, and how this is applied to the prisoners of war, because that is exactly what they are. They are treated to top notch service from her staff while still being restricted to what they can have and where they can go. Her connection to the waters that run under and around the hotel in West Virginia speak to the lore that often comes from this part of America. WV is rich with folklore steeped in the paranormal. While the waters definitely give off a paranormal vibe, I will say I never fully understand their presence or what they truly meant for the hotel. They are magical but they are not. They are healing but they also take away. I did understand the waters took from those who chose to submerge themselves: taking the good and expelling the bad to keep the hotel happy.
Tucker's character was my favorite. I loved his history with WV and how he buried it, only for it to grab at him as soon as he was back. His connection with the water is different than June's but not any less important. And the slow burn romance that ensues between the two is expected but comes upon you in bits and spurts. Their friendship grows first and then they find attraction. I was not surprised by this in the least. 
I loved that Stiefvater made this book in several POVs. It was nice to see it well rounded rather than just from June's POV, even though she really did take up about 70% of the book.
The pacing is a bit slow with this. And I will say there were times I was confused by the conversations that were happening. I know much of what was presented was to be mysterious given the nature of the spies involved, but even the idea of the sweetwater was confusing at times. This dropped by rating a bit.
I will say, the one secret with the little girl Hannelore I figured out early on. Not sure if that was intentional or not but it was not a surprise to me at all when it was revealed.
Overall I enjoyed this one. It's not my normal genre but it kept me interested and wanting to turn the pages, especially during the last 30% or so when things really ramp up and start to unravel. If you love historical fiction with a bit of magical realism sewn in, and Maggie's lyrical writing, give this one a try!

The Queen has done it again. 

Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I will say I honestly did not enjoy the first book in this series. I didn't even finish it. I am blaming that on how it was presented but also the fact that I listened to it on audio and really didn't like the narrators. But I wanted to give this author another chance and went in with zero expectations of what I would find. I'm glad I gave it a go. This presentation was much better than her first. My search for F1 books that truly present the sport in an easy and believable fashion has been wanting. Add in romance and there's the potential for disaster if it's not done right.
Things I enjoyed in this book:
The age-gap romance. While there was a gap, I didn't feel like it was so big the characters seemed like they would never truly be together. Both characters were mature enough to know what they wanted from life and where they wanted their lives to go.
The fast but slow burn romance. Since it starts with a bang and then falls back, I needed to watch that burn and love it. I did. There was chemistry, yes, but also a connection between the characters that was palpable.
The emotional turmoil of the characters seemed on point. I felt it to my bones when they suffered and when they felt joy. 
The pacing was good. I never felt like it stalled or like there were times I didn't want to continue reading. As a matter of fact, I read this title in a very short time.
Dual POV. I was happy with how it was presented. I love being in an MMCs head almost as much as an FMCs head. It was nice to have Klaus showing us who he was rather than just seeing it through Natalia's eyes.
What I didn't like:
Surprise pregnancy. Ok, I won't say I didn't like it totally. I knew it was coming. It was very obvious with how the author set up the relationship and with the conversations that were being had, I just didn't totally believe the things that happened when it was revealed.
The ending. It just kind of ends? There's no epilogue, no nothing. I feel like I was left wanting more. Wanting to know if there was a happily ever after. Wanting to know where their lives took them given their circumstances.
While there is mention of the characters from the first book, and things that happened that were important (yes I read enough of the first book to know things that were important), they are not built upon in any appropriate manner. The author assumes you've read the first book and know what happened. I needed more flashbacks so the story made sense. This elimination left plot holes. There's  a ton of overlap between book 1 and 2 and it seemed the author did not care to share why it was important. 
Given the characters ages, I felt like there was more drama than was necessary. For adults in their 30s and 40s, it was more like teen or young adult angst. I just didn't believe in it as much as I would have liked.
Would I recommend this book? I sure would, but only if you've read the first one so you have the background. And I recommend reading them one after the other, so the plot is not confusing or forgotten. Juniper does a better job with the F1 in this book, as well. In the first book, I felt like she shoved a lot of technical information at the reader. For someone who doesn't follow the sport, it was hard to absorb. This book was much lighter on that and easier to understand.
3.5 rounded to 4

Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I will admit to not knowing much about lore from this culture but give me a Beauty and the Beast or Phantom reference in a blurb and I'm all over it!
Truyan Saigas lives her life as a con artist, hoping to one day use her artistic talents to actually sell her art. When she stumbles upon the town's beastly mysterious dragon lord and they make a bargain for her to be his wife in exchange or the safety and security of her family, she jumps at the chance. It doesn't hurt that the dragon prince assures her her father, who disappeared and was presumed dead five years ago, is alive and can be rescued. She also doesn't plan on falling for the dragon prince, despite his prickly demeanor.
Can we first talk about this cover? It is absolutely gorgeous. I love the colors and the lines. I will admit to having judged this book by the art presented to me. 
I really enjoyed this story. This is my first book by this author and her writing is expressive and easy to read. It flows so well. I don't know much about Eastern lore. Lim does a great job of building the world and explaining the background associated with the things that happen throughout the tale. I loved the otherworld she built and I was especially intrigued by how they got there and what they needed to do to stay there. Plus there are so many interesting characters and different "monsters" I really enjoyed meeting them all. I will say there were times I had to flip back a bit to understand scenes. Many scenes were intense and I think I got caught up in that and would miss the subtle things Lim included in the story.
Tru was a great character. She was easily relatable despite her future site. She cared so much for her family and would do anything to keep them safe and secure. She grew into herself and her "power" during the story. I enjoyed how she used it and didn't abuse it in any way. all she wanted to do was help.
Elang was a harder one to like. He was so prickly and standoffish. I do understand why. But I didn't feel he genuinely fell for Tru in a way that would show he was changed. Likeable enough but not one of my favorite male characters.
This book is definitely for the YA crowd. There's nothing steamy about the romance. It's presented by touch and kissing. It was simple. The pacing was fast at times, slower at others. The overall plot was interesting and kept me wanting to read on to see what would happen. The heartfelt ending was a nice touch.
Overall, I enjoyed the tale and I learned some things about Eastern culture and lore. I'd dive into future books from this author.

Pretty sure there is nothing Black can write that I won't love.

Thank you to Avon Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinion expressed here are my own.
You had me at You've Got Mail. One of my favorite movies. I just love a mistaken identity trope!
Emmy Jameson has rules: no dating, no personal interactions at work, and baseball above all else. At work, she's competing or a promotion against her nemesis, Gabe Olsen. They are like oil and vinegar and she's determined to beat him for the title.. When she receives a random text and strikes up communication with the sender, she finds herself opening up about things she never thought she would. Little does she know the sender is none other than her nemesis.
Emmy is a great character. But boy does she have some unsolved trauma. She definitely works through a lot throughout the book. And a woman in a man's world made her life even harder. She had to fight for everything to show she was worthy of her job. I hated that for her but it wasn't unrelatable. I enjoyed her development and her relationships with her coworkers, best friend, and parents.
Gabe is a tight lipped character. His outside facade is not what he feels inside at all. He presents himself as what he thinks everyone wants to see him while he's secretly so not the way that everyone sees him. I loved his connection to Emmy. I was routing for him the whole time.
The pacing of the book was good. While it took a turn about 50% through, that didn't stop me from wanting to continue to read to see where the story was going. I really enjoyed the slow build romance. Plus there was so much banter I found myself laughing more often than not. And then there's the swoon the author makes you go through. The build up is tense and the culmination worth the wait.
This book was a lot of fun. I was enamored with the text exchanges between Emmy and Gabe. There was some serious flirting and moments of raw honesty that were refreshing. There is a ton of baggage for both characters which of course forces them to look deeply at themselves and how they view relationships. My only complaint with this book was the drop off in that connection at about halfway through the book. While I understand why it happened, it changed the feel of the relationship and tone of the book very quickly and I found myself missing it. 
Overall this one was fun. It's my first book by this author, who I understand has more than one pen name. I would love to read  more from her in the future. A solid swoon worthy beach read!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I love a good witchy story. And this one was read now and caught my eye in an email. I'm so glad I read it. It was adorable. 
Belladonna Blackthorn barely uses her magic. She's called to her witchy trial to see if it needs to be taken away. She must prove her worth. With a witch who has been ousted and her keeper by her side, can she get through the trials?
Belle was such a great character. I loved that she used her powers for easy things and had no idea of her true power. It's fun how she slowly finds it. It's also great that she winds up in a situation where she must solve a mystery all the while finding her witchy way.
Rune was so sweet. He's got a bit of mystery to him and is a bit reserved. But you can see his snark and fun hidden just beneath his surface. I really wish he would have had more page time, to be honest. This one would have been fun as a dual POV. But he treats Belle with such kindness and helps her see she is worth all things witchy.
And the romance? It's not the center of the story but it's there in such a sweet way. I loved how it was simple and Belle and Rune grew into each other.
The side characters are great, as well. I loved the animals and Belle's best friend!
I will say there were some slow parts but over all the pacing was nice. 
If you're looking for a cozy fantasy, pick this one up. Great for lovers of Assistant to the Villain and Legends and Lattes. I'm looking forward to reading the next story!

Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
The blurb for this book drew me right in. I loved the idea of young Sabrina rooming with elderly Marcia and them taking care of each other. That alone would have held my interest. Introduce some romance and it just seemed like this would be a win in every way. Unfortunately for me it didn't work and I ended up DNFing at 50%.
What I liked:
The cover is charming. I love the art and the colors.
The relationship between Sabrina and Marcia was really cute. Marica filled the grandma role well for Sabrina, who had lost her grandma and had some guilt over how their relationship was at the time.
I also loved that Sabrina worked in a library. If I had to do things all over again, I definitely would have majored in library sciences and gone into that field.
There were a few humorous scenes that kept my interest for a few pages. They showed me the book could have potential which is what kept me reading for so long.
Finally, Rocket! That dog is so great. Pretty sure he stole the show!
What didn't work:
The characters are super underdeveloped. They had no personality for me at all. I couldn't get a real feel of who they were, what they liked, why they liked what they did, or even what they had in common that would make them want to be in proximity to each other.
The romance. Ugh! This book could have done without any romance and it probably would have held my interest much more. There was zero chemistry between Adam and Sabrina. While the close proximity trope can work very well, it just did not work in this case. I didn't even get far enough to get into the more sexual things, but the one scene that happened just kind of happened and I didn't even feel a spark. 
It was hard to believe the ages of the MMC and FMC. They didn't seem mature enough to be adults who have gone through school and now have jobs. It read more like YA than adult.
The pacing in this book was super slow. Nothing was happening for me. I didn't know where it was going and didn't even care by half way through. The fact that the author told us everything (or at least the FMC did) rather than showing us what was happening really bugged me. I appreciate the author trying to educate the reader on the some Jewish heritage but, as a Jewish woman, I hated how it was done. It was just thrown in here and there and I wanted it to be more important to the story line. It was all jumbled together and thrown at the reader.
Finally, way to many pop culture references. They didn't lend anything to the story. They were just dropped in there to drop them in the book. If you're going to use references like this, make them mean something.
Overall, I think the author has potential but needs to hone her craft and her plot line better. This is billed as a rom-com but it doesn't read like one. The romance is on the back burner and the plot that comes along with it doesn't take the story anywhere. I was bored which is why I chose to DNF.