Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Yours Truly

Enjoyed it, but probably my least favorite of Abby Jimenez’s books so far. (And I’m pretty sure I’ve read them all.)

What I liked:

  • The banter and dialogue. Very fun.
  • Jacob. All the fabulous good-guy vibes.
  • The sending notes to each other in the first half. OMG. ADORBz.
  • Jacob’s narration on the audiobook

What I didn’t like:

  • The relationship drama at the 85% point felt a little contrived for me and very abrupt
  • The miscommunication
  • Brianna’s narration on the audiobook

While the first half was everything I love about Jimenez books – the cuteness, the banter, the fun. I felt like the 2nd half dipped too far in the drama, and I felt like Bri did Jacob wrong. Still a fun read for those looking for a cute romance, but if this is your first Jimenez book, I wouldn’t start here. Will still definitely read the next Jimenez book for sure though!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Not my favorite Jimenez, but I’m still excited for the next one.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Iron Flame

Finished this five minutes ago. No spoilers – real thoughts.

Things I liked:

  • The Dragons (as in book one, I think this is exactly how dragons should be)
  • Specifically, Tairn & Andarna. Definitely my favorite
  • The squad dynamics and loyalty going on
  • Love the action
  • Love that BIG plot events happened, and that Violet played a huge part in them, really coming into her own
  • The perfection of the audiobook narration
  • The family dynamics
  • The action scenes
  • Huge stakes
  • The real feeling that no one is safe

Things I didn’t like:

  • Violet & Xaden have one ongoing fight for the entirety of this 28 hour audiobook, and it is about something (imho) ridiculous, to the point of feeling contrived for the sake of relationship tension. I like Violet pretty much the entire time except when she is with Xaden.
  • The ending. While the last book left me with a feeling of satisfaction after a book-long build to a reveal… I don’t think I got enough closure/resolution in this one to justify the abrupt cliffhanger. Which basically makes it feel like this book doesn’t stand alone in any way, but is rather a stepping stone to book 3. I know it won’t bother most people that love long series, but it’s a big pet peeve of mine. After 28 hours, I would like to close the book with a satisfying pay-off or clawing for the next one… and I don’t really feel either.

So, I think I liked it about the same as the first book, which is to say – solid read and will read book 3, but probably won’t make my 2023 favorite books list.

⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Solid romantasy, though I still don’t totally get the Fourth Wing mania.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Gideon the Ninth

So, a creepy sci-fi fantasy with necromancers and swords and mystery? I thought this would be right up my alley. Even after my husband gave a lackluster review of being slow, I figured, with all the hype, I would give it a shot. But while, I know a lot of people loved this book, I don’t think it was for me.

What I liked:

  • Gideon’s character and voice off the page.
  • The premise of nine houses of necromancy coming together to solve some kind of riddle in a creepy house of death
  • Swords and general creepiness. Vibes here were solid.
  • The audiobooks narration
  • The complex relationship between Gideon and Harrowhark

What I didn’t like.

  • Pacing. Oof. I’ve got to agree with my husband, this one was slow and l.o.n.g. (Please keep in mind though, as a rule, I like breakneck books.) Gideon spends a lot of the first half not really knowing what’s going on, and well, the tension just wasn’t there for me. Even by the end, I didn’t feel like the elements melded together enough for me to be really satisfied.

Obviously lots of people loved it though, so if you’re into dark, edgy sci-fi fantasy, give this one a shot. 3.75/5 for me, and I’ll pass on the sequel, though I would see the movie.

⭐⭐⭐¾

Not for me, but it could be for you! (And my little iron man says he’s not a fan of the cover, so there’s that too.)

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Night Will Find You

Got the NetGalley audiobook widget for this one in my email and decided I was totally in the mood for a thriller. Totally turned out to be an excellent choice, because I really enjoyed this one. Loved the evocative writing, the twisting of several different mysteries, and the seamless blending of science and paranormal. I really enjoyed Vivi Buchet’s character and complexities as well as her back and forth with Jesse Sharp in a very subtly changing relationship (even though I thought the shift at the end was a little abrupt or sudden.) The only thing that I didn’t like was Vivi’s weird relationship with Mike and her sister. I didn’t feel like it added a whole lot to the story and it just seemed uncomfortable and odd. Luckily, it was one minor element, with so much good to balance it out. I was totally drawn in to the whole story, and found the ending extremely satisfying. Would totally read the sequel if there ever was one. Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for the free copy! (Which reminds me, the narration was excellent. Definitely one of my favorite narrators.)

⭐⭐⭐⭐¾

I think I’m ready for another thriller!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Divine Rivals

This is going to be a short review, because I friggin’ loved this book. Drawn in from the first page, I loved the magic of this fantasy world with a WWII feel. Loved the You Got Mail interaction between the two main characters. Loved the two leads themselves – complex and deep (though they felt a little older than they were.) Loved the writing. Loved the premise. Loved the narration. Honestly, the only thing I didn’t love was that cliffhanger ending. It felt weird to me for some reason. But will 1000% be reading book 2, and have already recommended this one to basically everyone I know.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SOOOOO good! Can’t wait for book 2!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Fourth Wing

So, someone told me this book was weirdly addicting and they were NOT wrong. It was totally invading my brain space at all times, so do yourself a favor and make sure you clear your schedule so you can read it (as close to) straight through as humanly possible.

A high fantasy with a great, modern voice and solid military vibe. Cool magic. Interesting world. Likable characters. Touch-her-and-die. High stakes. Danger everywhere. Enemies-to-lovers (with plenty of lusty tension and some spice if you’re into that). Fast-paced.

And the DRAGONS. This is how dragons should be. Scary, dangerous, brutal, intelligent, loyal. Just YASSS.

Yeah I’ll be honest, I’m always leery to get into super hyped books, and this one didn’t really grab me from the start. But even though it’s long, this book just fllooooowwwws, and as soon as the dragons really entered the picture a quarter of the way through I was IN IT.

At times, I did get a little tired of the lusty sexual-tension dance between the MCs, but that ending was totally just *chef’s kiss.*

Does it live up to the hype? I honestly don’t know if that’s possible, but this was a solid 5 stars for me. I’ll definitely be reading the sequel and going to the movies. (Please, Hollywood, do them justice.)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yes awesome, scary dragons! I’m ready for the movie!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Any Way the Wind Blows (Simon Snow #3)

So I loved Simon Snow 1 & 2, and while I still enjoyed this one, it was probably my least favorite of the series. Of course, I love Simon and Baz and Penelope, but the story seemed to be a little wandering. And Agatha’s POV really didn’t come together for me this time. It felt disconnected from the others, and kind of incomplete. I’m not sure if there will be a book 4, but on the whole, I feel like Agatha has always been kind of an afterthought, and even more so in this book. Would still totally recommend this to fans of book 1 & 2, and would definitely read a book 4 if there ever is one!

⭐⭐⭐⭐¼

Cheers to more Simon Snow!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Wayward Son (Simon Snow #2)

I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to read this book. I loved Fangirl, I really liked Simon Snow #1, and I’ve read all of Rainbow Rowell’s novels, soooo yeah, I am a fan, and I totally should’ve read this sooner.

There is little to say here other than I excessively enjoyed this. Simon Snow (ex-chosen one who is going through some stuff), his broody (but sweet) vampire boyfriend, Baz, and his BFF, Penny, go on a magical American roadtrip, and it is chaotically fun. Rowell’s fast-paced style and amazing banter is totally brought to life by the narrator, and I picked up book #3 immediately. Basically, if you liked the first book, or you’re a RR fan, you’ll be down for this.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Big thumbs up for this one – totally made me smile.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Marvellers

I really had no idea what to expect when I picked this up, but I really enjoyed this one! The audiobook was the perfect listen for my roadtrip, and I was totally immersed in this word. The voice was perfect, the audiobook was wonderfully narrated, and I loved the rich magic. The Harry Potter parallels were a little too strong to ignore (which was kind of distracting), but this book felt so much bigger. I feel like it was like: let’s make it an international school, where everyone brings their own unique magic, and let’s also have some bigger world themes of prejudice and acceptance. And of course, the New-Orleans-flavored conjuring magic was just chef’s kiss. Snagged a copy for my middle-grade nieces and will totally be reading book 2.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved it! Will now be recommending to everyone and bring on book 2!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – In the Lives of Puppets

Okay THIS book.

This world felt like the 2001 movie A.I. (with Haley Joel Osment) crossed with Ghibli vibes. Initially I was a little thrown off because this audiobook narrator isn’t my favorite, and the inciting incident was unfortunately caused by a parent deciding to keep a secret from their adult child in a way I felt was just to serve the plot. (And this is the second time I’ve seen that particular trope this month, so I was already kind of sensitive to it.)

However! Putting that aside, this author’s ability to create charming characters is really amazing. They totally pop off the page, and I loved all of them. Huge found family vibes and really cute banter. This colorful world really played out for me like a Ghibli film in my head, and though the voice here is super similar to The House in the Cerulean Sea, this one is a lot darker and heavier. I liked the philosophical questions posed, but on the whole I found it a little long, and the ending was just a little too bitter on the bittersweet spectrum for me.

So yeah Ghibli x A.I. If that sounds interesting, or you liked The House in the Cerulean Sea, I would definitely give this one a try!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A reminder from Elsa to watch out for the bittersweet ending.

Thanks for reading!