Lisa

An other worldly, haunting mystery exploring how people change (or don't change) in a place where the past bleeds into the present.

This book takes place in a small, isolated town surrounded by redwoods, and it couldn't be more perfect for the plot. It amplified how stifling a community can be where nothing changes and everyone knows everybody.

Because James has been gone for 20 years, you get the unique perspective of an outsider who still has insider information, and that works great to create an atmosphere where everyone is suspicious. Things unravel at a great pace, and by the end I had a bunch of theories and was still surprised.

This was also a really interesting look into how lifelong relationships grow together and apart, how time and distance can change our perception of people, and how ignoring the truth will eat away at you.

I'd recommend for anyone looking for a moody, suspenseful mystery with a little bit of romance and a deep exploration of loss.

I can already tell this one will stick with me for a while.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for feedback

(4.75 stars) A Christmasy, locked room mystery tailor made for book lovers and fans of romantic suspense.

This was a quick fun read. The banter is witty. The mystery is compelling and twisty. The romance is swoony with some great protection tropes. It's the perfect book to read during the busy Christmas season when you have a million other things on your mind.

My only complaint was that some parts of the big finale twist kind of came out of nowhere, but it didn't ruin anything for me. I just think it would have been better to lay a little bit more groundwork.

Overall would recommend. Will reread. Great if you watch Knives Out and were like "I wish this had more romantic suspense".

I love Tangled, but was hesitant about reading a story where the heroine was naive, earnest, trusting, and interacting with the world for the first time.

Ren is still all those things, but she's also charming and kind and that made the difference.

The book does a great job following the spirit of the movie and is full of little Easter eggs any Tangled fan will recognize.

That being said, I think the book is still good enough on its own for someone who hasn't seen the movie.

It's not my favorite Christina Lauren book but it does like a Christina Lauren book, so I still enjoyed it.

I thought I had this book all figured out in the first 20 pages. Things seemed almost too obvious to me, so I kept reading assuming I would either be very surprised or not surprised at all. I'm happy to report most of my assumptions were wrong.

I thought this book would be about Clementine trying to find Iwan in her present, but it's really about change, growth, and the expectations you put on other people. Finding him wasn't the hard part, it was coming to terms with the seven years in between past and present Iwan. This is what kept me reading.

I didn't have any complaints about pacing while reading it, but in hindsight things feel very quick. The story has depth but overall it feels like not a lot happened. I'm sure this is because time is split between the past and the present.

I think this is one of my favorites of hers. Ashley Poston writes tender romantic comedies with complex feelings on grief and this is no exception. Fans of her other books will find this one just as good.

This was the first regency RH I've read and it definitely put a fun spin on regency romance. There is a decent plot throughout which is always refreshing and it moves the story along nicely. Those who are a stickler for historical details may find a bit of an issue with some of the more modern ideas throughout, but if they're reading a regency RH in the first place they should expect it.

It's a fun read. Ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to the next one!

Light romantic suspense set in beautiful Mediterranean towns and a fancy yacht. A quick, fun read that will check the boxes of anyone who likes billionaire romances and travel but doesn't mind an instalove connection. The suspense is mostly one big scene at the end with some foreshadowing throughout.

I think there was room for more character depth. Theo particularly felt more like a trope than a real person. His defining character trait (aside from being a billionaire) is how much he cares for Aspen and anything outside of that is mentioned so casually that it doesn't really have an impact, but that wasn't a deal breaker.

Quick, entertaining science-y filled romance. It was cute, the characters were distinct, and there were plenty of swoon-worthy moments (literally). Major plot points/twists were telegraphed very obviously early on so I wasn't particularly surprised or impacted by anything that came later but I enjoyed reading it.

This book is romantic suspense. It has a decent plot. I wasn't surprised by the ending but there were enough other things going on that I wasn't able to narrow things down until the very end. It definitely sets up future books. What threw me off was the romance portion.

There are a lot of intimate scenes throughout the book and it's set up to be an important part of the main character's development but that development is never addressed. It felt like you could have removed them with almost zero change to the plot and character development. The scenes themselves are short with just a smidge more detail than if they were fade-to-black which is fine but seemed like an odd choice.

I'd still recommend reading it for people who love romantic suspense.

I'm writing this review after many rereads so it's pretty biased.

Slow-burn, paranormal, romantic suspense.

This book is 10 years old now, so a few things feel dated but I think it still holds up. The paranormal aspect is very heavy and I think if you're already willing to read that you can overlook some of the unbelievability of other plot points.

Rachel and Mason are two very similar characters who both experience drastic, life changing, interconnected events. They end up investigating the same case while both trying to keep the other from learning their secrets.

The pacing is great, the dialogue flows really naturally, and although the tone of the writing can get a little cheesy sometimes I think it's a really strong paranormal, romantic suspense book. It's also worth noting it's a closed door, slow burn romance.

I'd recommend for an easy-to-read, slow burn, paranormal romance with the feel of a thriller.

(3.75 rounded up)

This was cute. Peppered with pop culture references from books and tv. The small town setting is charming and it was fun to guess at what was actually going on. There's a little bit of mystery to keep you intrigued.

With how the story is set up there are A LOT of side characters and it's kind of like you're getting a bunch of mini books into one, but this also made me feel like I'm missing some depth.

I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to others, but probably won't reread it again.

Disclaimer: I won this in a Goodreads giveaway, but my book never showed up. Shout out to my local library for this review!

This is a funny, steamy, instalove-y Christmas rom com. The premise of a 24/7 reality TV show was very entertaining, the jokes were my type of humor, and with the whole thing taking place over a two week span there really isn't time for the story to drag.

Melody is an absolute dork, which I found charming. Think Jessica Day from New Girl. If that's not appealing to you this might not be your book.

Beat felt a little less developed as a character, but the core of his personality is his protective nature and I'm a complete sucker for that. Did it get repetitive? Probably. I didn't care.

I don't know that this is a “five star book”, but it's definitely five stars for me. One of my favorites from Tessa Bailey. It absolutely nails the Christmas rom com spirit. Would recommend.

Three stars for this book specifically, but 4-5 on average for the series as a whole.

This is a fine book one, but it's doing a lot of heavy lifting to set up the rest of the series. SJM's big three all have wildly different tones, so I would advise not going into this with the expectation that it's going to be “ACOTAR with different characters”. This is more fantasy forward. It's a strong series but I don't think it really hits its stride until you start getting into book three.

Unpopular opinion: I think it's fine to skip this series if you aren't enjoying it. It's a lot of books, and while I love them and think it's worth it, they're just not going to be for everyone. The consequences of not reading it are minimal in the grand scheme of things.

I'm reviewing this off a reread, so I tried to rate it objectively even though I know where the potential pays off.

Extreme Slow Burn/Superheroes/Medium Suspense

Updated Review:
This book prioritizes character development over plot, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. If you're reading this strictly for the superhero plot you'll probably be disappointed. What you're getting is the story of two people coming to terms with fate, family ties, and their ability to make their own choices. One of them happens to be a superhero (and an absolute grump, the title is accurate).

It's slow and the pacing is a little odd. The bulk of the action happens in the middle and there's not really a big climax at the end. The bulk of the book is spent in three different settings. It's not going to be for everyone.

I enjoyed it, enough to reread it. I love that Mariana Zapata dipped her toes into a different genre.

Previous Review:
Definitely a departure in genre from her other books but everything that makes them great exists in this one. Extreme slow burn romance and lots of little significant moments building up to love. Due to the setting and plot there's a heavier focus on the relationships and conversations.
The sci-fi aspect felt organic and shouldn't be off-putting to fans who don't normally read sci-fi.

A tender historical romance from a unique perspective.

The romance is sweet, the trio of sisters are fierce and intelligent, and the suspense towards the end was a high point for me. It was an incredibly quick read that let me get swept along with it.

I did find it to be a bit of a slow start and I found myself wishing for more conflict. The relationship between the sisters is supposed to be strained and grow stronger throughout the book, but I felt like they resolved their issues fairly early on. The characters are charming, and most have clearly defined story arcs, but their epiphanies often fell flat to me. They were mostly shown through dialogue without actions to back them up.

The majority of the novel is from Ana Maria and Gideon's perspectives, aside from a small part of one chapter that switches to her sister. I assume she's the focus of the next book but it was jarring to have her perspective added where it was.

There are Spanish phrases throughout that I could understand with my few years of Spanish classes, but someone who isn't familiar probably wouldn't. There's no context or translation given with them. It doesn't affect the reader's ability to follow the plot, but I did find the phrases I didn't know to be distracting.

Overall, I'd recommend this for anyone who enjoys historical romance but wishes there was more diversity. The sisters are independent, bright, capable women, and their status as outsiders allows them space to have more modern opinions than one would often find in a book like this.

Slowburn, steampunk, romantic fantasy/Sci-fi

This had elements of so many other things I enjoy. The adventurous feel of Atlantis: The Lost Empire meets the hot-headed banter of Han and Leia meets the discovery of hidden cultures from The Last Camel Died At Noon by Elizabeth Peters.

This feels like a quick read but there's plenty of plot. The sci-fi/fantasy aspect is very approachable, although I'm not sure it would appeal to people who aren't already a fan of those genres. I didn't feel like I was missing context for the new dialect of the world.

My only complaint is the formatting, mostly around the italics. Some things were italicized that didn't need to be. Others weren't that probably should have. This was a minor annoyance and nowhere near bad enough for me to stop reading.

I suppose the ending is a cliffhanger but this book still feels complete.

I was looking for an urban fantasy romance and this was perfect.

Rounding up from 3.5.
I enjoyed the plot and world, but the writing can be repetitive. Another pass through by an editor would have been beneficial.

It's fun, suspenseful, and romantic. I don't think I'll continue the series but it feels complete as a standalone.

Mystery, witty banter, and high stakes in space.

I really enjoyed this. You get dropped right into the middle of things and it had me almost immediately hooked. All the pieces of the mystery were pretty obvious to me but I was so invested in the motive and how exactly everything fit together that I didn't mind. The whole thing was like a puzzle.

Ada as a main character is confident, capable, and funny. Lots of banter that reminded me of peak Veronica Mars. The world she exists in is incredibly fleshed out for the amount of pages it's given, and it never felt like info dumping. I feel like I have a good grasp on it but still want to know more.

I'm invested. I'll be looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.

This ARC was provided by DAW through NetGalley. All opinions are my own

No spoilers. This was a solid follow up to the first book. The writing seemed to improve, the world/lore is expanded, and for the most part the pacing was good.

I burned through it (pun intended) but it's long. Iron Flame feels like two full books, with two complete story arcs. It's cool that we got all this content at once but my personal preference would have been to have them separate.

The bulk of the first half is focused less on the romance and more on the plot which was great, because Violet and Xaden got on my nerves. I wish the conflict between them had more measurable growth, but they just kept having the same fight over and over until they didn't.

Finishing it left me feeling a little brain fried, probably a lot in part to the 878 ebook page count. Would still recommend if you liked the first one.

(3.75 stars) A heartfelt story of a woman finding herself and her way forward by diving into the past.

Heart Restoration Project follows Plum Everly, a longtime reality TV star, as she takes on a new project renovating a chateau in a small French town. It reminded me of early 2000's romantic comedies in the best way. There's romance, small town charm, foreign language mishaps, and mouthwatering descriptions of delicious food, but the book's true strength comes from unearthing the rich, important history of the chateau and the people connected to it.

I anticipated that a majority of the plot would focus on a love triangle and the reality show, and to some extent that is what it is, but within that framework you also get to learn about the bravery and strength the town's families showed during World War II. The secrets of the past are still affecting the present. It's rewarding to see Plum restore not only the heart of the town, but her own confidence and reputation.

As much as I truly enjoyed reading this, some aspects feel like they're just shy of hitting their full potential. The romance feels almost like a subplot by the end and, while I didn't mind, I think I may have been disappointed if that's what I was most looking forward to. The pacing really hits its stride once we get to France, but the beginning set up is a little chaotic. There's a lot going on, a lot of backstory to establish, and it felt a little rushed to me. The book has a ton of pop culture references that pulled me out of the story. Intentionally setting this in the real world made me think more critically about the accuracy of home renovation, the region in France, and the making of a reality TV show. I think it would have been beneficial to replace these with made up references so this world could exist in its own bubble. I can't speak for the accuracy of the French dialogue but there is a lot of it and a French town of the same name does exist but the one in the book seems fairly fictional.

Overall, Heart Restoration Project has fun romcom energy in a beautiful setting with charming side characters and an unexpectedly deep plot. With great character development and a few surprises, it would make an excellent vacation read.

This ARC was provided through NetGalley from Montlake. All the above is my own, honest opinion.

(3.75) Magic, mystery, murder, and a slow-burn forbidden romance.

“Milla was the Witch of the Demesne, and the demesne made her more. It was a reservoir, an anchor, and a burden all at once.”

There are so many parts of this book I absolutely loved. The magic and mystery were definite strong points, but other parts left me feeling conflicted. Overall, the good outweighs the bad and I would definitely still recommend this book if the themes above appeal to you.

The Plot: There are multiple mysteries to unravel. Every single character is hiding something and I was dying to figure things out. The author does a great job of dropping clues in a way that gives you some of the information but leaves you wanting to know more. Some reveals were truly surprising. Some were telegraphed a little too clearly. I guessed the two biggest twists very early on, which lessened the impact of the big finale.

The Magic: There's a well established magic system with a deep history and competing power structures. For the most part you learn about things through experience although there is some info dumping in the beginning as things are set up. I did find a few minor parts confusing but it doesn't take away from the magic being one of the stronger parts of the book.

The Characters: Because everyone is hiding things, I feel like you don't get a true sense of Milla and Darkly until later in the book. Darkly came across as a little bland for me initially and it's not until he starts dropping the mask of control that I found him interesting. I admittedly didn't read Brown's other book that focuses on him, so maybe that would have changed things. Milla is incredibly judgmental early on and pretty selfish when it comes to her friends. It leaves her plenty of room for character growth and it plays in heavily to the plot, but it made me dislike her for a good chunk of the book. By the end I really came to respect how she stepped up and took ownership of her demesne and her own Way. Both of them are at their best when they're together, facing danger and embracing their true magic. They truly have the chance to shine as the plot progresses.

The Romance: A little bit of enemies to lovers, a little bit forbidden romance, and a slow burn with a splash of spice.

The Pacing: This was my biggest issue. The first half of the book reads very slow. There's a lot of setup needed and the pacing really gets bogged down with the details. Although there are scenes that piqued my interest early on, I didn't truly get excited about this book until the 50% mark. The plot is at it's strongest when Milla is tending her demesne and using her magic, and you don't get much of that early on, but the momentum builds quickly once things start happening.

The MLM portion of the book was a lot more prominent than I expected from the summary. There's a lot of info dumping with how uplines and downlines work which I found boring. I'll admit, I'm already familiar with the controversy surrounding MLMs but I think it would still be over explained even for someone with zero knowledge. At one point the word ‘upline' was used four times in the span of a paragraph. A lot of this detail is what slowed things down for me in the first half.

The Writing: There's a lot of repetition with dialogue/descriptions/thoughts. Not a dealbreaker for me, but noticeable throughout. A lot of foreign language used in connection with the magic that is sometimes explained and other times not. Also Darkly is Scottish and is written with a heavy accent throughout the book, to a point where it almost became distracting. I can normally tolerate that so if that bothers you even in the slightest, this is going to be too much.

Overall: The first half is a flat three stars for me but the second half is 4+ and more than made up for it. I really think it pays off in the end. The story is exciting, and mysterious, and action packed, so if you're willing to push through in the beginning there's so much to look forward to.

This book has so much of what made the first one fun. Mystery, danger, adventure, ancient history, and some romance.

There's new POV chapters from two “new” characters. They add a lot of depth to Ellie and Adam's backstories and add dimension to the plot. Overall I enjoyed getting new perspectives although it did feel like we got less of Ellie and Adam because of it. The last book by necessity had a lot more interaction where they got to know each other, and I missed that connection. There are external circumstances keeping them more reserved with each other in this one.

This one is set in Egypt which makes everything feel fresh, but still leaves room for criticism on historians who loot and destroy the history of another culture for their enjoyment and wealth.

The history is approachable and explained well. The romance is a little light but very heartfelt. The adventure is grand and exciting. You get a lot of call backs to the first book, so while you technically COULD read this as a standalone, you would supremely be missing out.

I'd absolutely recommend this to people looking for a fun, closed door, paranormal-is romance full of puzzles, Egyptian tombs, and dynamic personalities. I will definitely be continuing the series.

Thank you to Crimson Fox Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in return for honest feedback.

Paranormal Romance/Romantic Suspense

This isn't my usual go to for paranormal romance but it hit so many of my other favorite tropes and themes to read that I couldn't help but enjoy it!

The story has secrets and mystery, family feuds, and old magic existing just under the surface of the normal world.

I enjoyed the writing style and didn't feel like the action dragged at any point. There are some typos that jumped out at me but nothing too distracting. Overall, I had a good time reading it and will probably reread some day.

Great for fans of the nightmare trope, “who did this to you”, and protective heroes.

At 142 pages it's paced very quick but still feels rounded out. Easy, fun read with charming banter and a good dose of the paranormal. I really enjoy Shayne's writing and this was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
The others in the series are currently priced higher than the first and with how short they are I'm not sure if I'll continue but I'm definitely interested in where the story goes from here.