Tag: 3.25 Reviews

Review: Queen of Snow by Laura Burton & Jessie Cal

Posted September 4, 2023 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Queen of Snow by Laura Burton & Jessie CalReviewer: Holly
Queen of Snow by Laura Burton, Jessie Cal
Narrator: Emma Faye
Series: Fairy Tales Reimagined #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: March 2, 2021
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genres: Fairytale
Pages: 154
Length: 4 hours and 37 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Before she was The Snow Queen... she was a Princess on the run.

Princess Aria has one goal: collect the mirror shards to the Mirror of Reason to create a portal that will take her far away from the Chanted Kingdom. Before The Evil Queen kills her like she did to Aria's family.

But when Jack Smith from Oxford stumbles into her life through a portal in his grandfather’s study, there’s something familiar about him. A connection so strong, she can't ignore.

Jack is not only shocked to discover that fairytales are real, but confused as to why a pirate is after him.

So, if he wants to survive in this foreign land, and return home, he needs to help Aria complete the Mirror of Reason.

But as Aria struggles to control her ice powers, something awakens inside of Jack.

As his heart stirs for the young Princess, he cannot help but wonder if he’s found his true home, after all?

Another book in this series came up as a recommended read on Kindle and I was intrigued, so I figured I’d start with the first in the series. I don’t know if I would have read it if I’d known it was YA, but I ended up enjoying it regardless, so I’m glad I didn’t know. The pacing is a little off. Sometimes it felt like a drag to get through and other times things seemed to move too fast, but the writing was good and I found myself invested in the story of Jack and Aria.

Jack gets pulled into a magical land through a mirror he finds in his grandfather’s home after he passes away. He ends up with Aria and follows her as she attempts to collect shards of the Mirror of Reason, which will act as a portal between his world and hers. She wants to get out of her world before the evil queen finds her and he wants to get home.

This is a mashup of various fairytales. I enjoyed the way the story wove around everyone. It kind of reminded me of Shrek, in the way that the fantasy characters are all together. I have to be honest, the end…wasn’t my favorite.

View Spoiler »

That aside, I liked the story enough to download the next in the series.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5.

Fairy Tales Reimagined

three-half-stars


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Lightning Review: Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score

Posted August 21, 2023 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Lightning Review: Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy ScoreReviewer: Holly
Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score
Narrator: Lila Winters, Sebastian York
Series: Knockemout #2
Also in this series: Things We Never Got Over
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Format: Audiobook, eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited, Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating First
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 589
Length: 17 hours and 36 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she’s not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash’s touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk.
Too bad Lina’s got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she’s in town, he’ll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn’t do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she’s after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people’s skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he’s not about to be dissuaded… even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him.

Things We Hide from the Light is the second book in the Knockemout series. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023. I loved the first book, Things We Never Got Over, and I was so excited to get Nash’s story! With Lina! Ahh!!! I got it from KU the day it was released and purchased the audio add-on so I could listen when I wasn’t able to read.

Sadly, I was underwhelmed. I found myself frustrated by Nash for the majority of the book. I had such a hard time with his “hurt feelings” and the way he treated Lina. Maybe I wasn’t as invested in her lie by omission as I should have been, but his level of anger and the way he lashed out was so over the top I had a really hard time with it. Since I didn’t understand his level of anger, I had a hard time forgiving him for acting the way he did. That’s not to say Lina was blameless, but it was really Nash I struggled with. I did enjoy being back in Knockemout and the secondary characters.

It may have just been my reading mood and not the book, so take that with a grain of salt. YMMV.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5

Knockemout

three-half-stars


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Review: The Danu by Kelly Lucille

Posted July 27, 2022 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: The Danu by Kelly LucilleReviewer: Holly
The Danu by Kelly Lucille
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: February 20, 2016
Format: eBook
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars

Katrine was a child of the Danu. Her people were peaceful forest dwellers with a connection to the natural world and forest magic that others came to both envy and fear. When the lands of her people where claimed by invaders, fear turned to fire and everything she knew was destroyed.
Now, an adult and finally free of the ties that bound her, she is on a mission to stay alive, stay free, and find others of her kind hiding in the world.
She expected it to be hard, what she didn't expect was catching the eye of one of her peoples worst enemies. Saying no should have been easy, but a warrior prince of the realm always got what he wanted. Especially when what he wanted was the last of the peace loving Danu his people had already conquered.
He would find out quite quickly that Katrine was a different kind of Danu.

Kelly Lucille is a new-to-me author. The Danu came up as a recommended read on Kindle so I downloaded a sample and enjoyed it enough to purchase the book. I liked the concept and was intrigued by the main character in the first chapter.

Katrine’s people, the Danu, were destroyed when invaders burned the forests they claimed as home and were connected to magically. She was taken as a slave and sold to the leader of an Outcast clan at age 11 who took her for his wife to protect her from his lecherous son. She felt she owed him a debt so she remained with him as his wife (in name only) until he died. The day he died his son made it known that he expected her in his bed that evening, so she followed plans she and her now dead husband made and left the clan.

Not much is known or understood about the Danu by the invaders who killed her people, which worked in Katrine’s favor. She was able to escape into The Wild, the forests her people called home until they were destroyed, until she was able to make her way into the human city. She believes she is the last living Danu.

Prince Khalon is intrigued by a woman he finds in a walled city garden and he’s been drawn back to the area to search for her. When he realizes she’s Danu, the sworn enemy of his people, he knows he has to take her to his father. He can’t stand the thought of her being harmed, however, so she places her under his protection.

I enjoyed Katrine. She was a strong character. I liked her initial journey from the Outcast clan to the city. I also enjoyed the brief time she spent in the city. From there, though I enjoyed the story overall, I felt a lot of it was choppy and not explained well. I also feel like things were wrapped up rather quickly.

In regards to Khalon, I didn’t really buy into his feelings being genuine and long-lasting. He wanted to protect her, but …I don’t know. They didn’t have a “UNTIL THE END OF TIME” romance. It was hard to believe he’d place her before all others.

Even though I wasn’t satisfied with the romance or how quickly things ended, I am looking forward to the next book.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5.

three-half-stars


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Lightning Review: Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall

Posted July 11, 2022 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Lightning Review: Darkness Dawns by Dianne DuvallReviewer: Holly
Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall
Narrator: Kirsten Potter
Series: Immortal Guardians #1
Also in this series: Darkness Dawns, In Still Darkness
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: February 1, 2011
Format: Audiobook, eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited, Library
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Content Warning: View Spoiler »
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 345
Length: 10 hours and 39 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

In this dazzling, sensual novel, Dianne Duvall beckons readers into a world of vampires, immortals, and humans with extraordinary gifts…where passion can last forever, if you’re willing to pay the price…

Once, Sarah Bingham’s biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she’s landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control…

In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible—when it means forfeiting the world she’s always known, and the life he would do anything to protect...

Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall is the first book in the Immortal Guardians series. I read the spinoff series, The Aldebarian Alliance, first, then picked this up to see what I missed. I listened to the audiobook, which narrated by Kirsten Potter, a favorite of mine.

Sarah is a professor on break for the summer. She’s leaving electronics behind and focusing on growing a garden and decompressing. She’s doing some late night gardening when she comes across a man being attacked. She comes to his aid and brings him home. Roland is a centuries old Immortal Guardian. His colleagues and friends call him “anti-social”, but he has good reason to keep away from people and trust no one. Except Sarah gets under his skin. He doesn’t want to want her, but he can’t stop himself. When it becomes apparent that Sarah may be in danger for her part in helping him, he knows he’ll have to keep her with him. If only he and his brethren weren’t Immortal Vampire Slayers she knows nothing about.

I liked this story, but I thought the romance came on pretty fast. Sarah learned about the existence of paranormal beings and fell in love with one in like a day. That aside, the world building was good and I’m excited for the next book.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5

Immortal Guardians

three-half-stars


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Review: When He’s Sinful by Suzanne Wright

Posted June 8, 2022 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: When He’s Sinful by Suzanne WrightReviewer: Holly
When He's Sinful by Suzanne Wright
Series: The Olympus Pride #3
Also in this series: When He’s Dark
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: March 1, 2022
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Content Warning: View Spoiler »
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 371
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Aspen Montgomery was nine-years-old when she befriended Camden Priest—a boy with dead eyes and dark urges. Since that day, they’d been inseparable. She hadn’t expected to later develop a major crush on him. Or expected that the crush would fail to pass. Or ever thought that she'd grow to wish that she could one day claim him as her mate. It’s never going to happen. She knows that. To him, she's a friend, nothing more. So it’s time to make some changes to establish some better boundaries. Which would be a hell of a lot easier if he didn't fight her on it.
There is only one person in the world that Camden Priest gives a damn about—Aspen. She's his best friend, his anchor, his conscience, the very reason he's sane. There's only secret he ever kept from her … he wants more than friendship. Knowing she doesn't feel the same, he put a chokehold on his need for her. But when some asshole claims to be Aspen's true mate and danger starts closing in on her, Camden's control becomes precarious and platonic lines are crossed. He knows what he should do—leave it at a one-night stand to protect their friendship. He's just not so sure he can.

When He’s Sinful is the third book in Suzanne Wright’s Olympus Pride series, which is set in the same world as the Mercury and Phoenix Pack books. Havana, Bailey and Aspen have been best friends for a long time. The three of them worked for the Movement and all three are ruthless when they need to be. Aspen and Camden were in a group home together as kids. Aspen decided they were going to be friends and Camden bonded to her in a way he hadn’t even bonded with anyone. They’ve been together through thick and thin ever since, as roommates and best friends. Aspen has always wanted more, but she knows Camden doesn’t, so she suppresses those thoughts and urges…until Cam suddenly makes it clear he wants all of her.

I liked Aspen and Camden in previous books and was looking forward to their story. I really loved that they had a soul-deep connection from childhood that just grew and changed as they did. I especially liked that she was his touchstone. There was just something very sweet about it. Unfortunately, that’s about all I liked of this story. The villains were pretty over the top and ridiculous and the external plots were predictable and kind of dumb.

I also feel like Wright has gone a little OTT with these animal shifters. Bearcats, Pallas Cats, Bush Dogs…. It’s fine in the moment, but if I think about it too long or hard I can’t embrace the silliness of it, especially since they’re all vicious and deadly and OMG so adorable.

Rating: 3.25/3.5

Olympus Pride

three-half-stars


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