Posted on by hrchow12

Book Review – The Maiden Ship Trilogy

Since I read books 2 and 3 and finished this trilogy this year, I’d figured I’d post all the reviews together!

The Maiden Ship

Magic on the high seas – definitely enjoyed this heartwarming, magical adventure on the sea with its huge found family vibes, colorful cast, a sweet slow-burn romance, and old lore. Will definitely be reading book 2!

The Lion of the Sea

A high seas adventure with magic and sweet romance – loved how the world expanded and the relationship developed in this sequel. Definitely recommend for fans of the book one.

The Rightful Bearer

An epic conclusion to a fantastical trilogy! Loved this epically satisfying conclusion to the Maiden Ship trilogy! Anyone looking for pirates, magic, romance, and a huge side of found family, this one’s for you!

Overall, I would describe this series as a fantastical but cozy nautical adventure with a side of romance and a classical feel.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hi, yes, hello, I’m ready for my magical high-seas adventure, please.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Out on a Limb

Aw this was such a cute (surprise pregnancy) romance, and I loved the audiobook narration.

What I liked:
– The characters- both Win & Bo were super likable, I enjoyed the development, and the side characters really popped off the page too
– Lots of light banter
– Just in general, a cozy, feel-good romance
– The disability rep (I especially appreciated the author’s forward)

What I disliked
– I felt like the tension in the last third of the book flagged a little bit and in general, this book felt a little longer than it needed to be.

Overall, if you’re looking for what I would classify as a cozy pregnancy romance with spicy bits, I highly recommend this one (especially the audiobook!)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Olivetti

This was *such* a charming Middle Grade story. I absolutely loved Olivetti’s POV, and it gave this story a light whimsical flavor even as it touched on a some hard topics. The audiobook narration was absolutely delightful, I enjoyed Earnest and Quinn’s budding friendship, and I love the middle grade voice really sparking from the writing. Overall, it really reminded me of what I love about middle grade books, and I would highly recommend!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thumbs up because who doesn’t want a talking typewriter as a friend?!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Happy Place

So, I loved Beach Read, I *adored* Book Lovers, and I very much did not like People We Meet on Vacation. That said, this ranks as my least favorite Emily Henry book and I can now say with confidence that her books are truly hit or miss for me.

The writing was beautiful of course, as always, but this book just plays against a lot of my personal preferences, so I probably should’ve DNF’d it around the 20% mark. In general though, this book is just so very *sad.*

It’s split between flashbacks of two people falling in love and fast-forwarding to present day where they are broken up and heartbroken. Honestly, the rest of the book is just background for the sadness, and it does not let up until about the last 2%. And Harriet’s career resolution just… didn’t quite land right for me.

Mostly this book felt like watching your best friends break up in slow motion, and I felt I was marinating in a downer, so I actually charged through the last 40% at like warp speed so I could put it behind me. But there are plenty of other people who loved this book, so if you’re an Emily Henry fan, this might be for you!

Geez. I REALLY need to read something light now.

⭐⭐⭐

This is a reminder that if you think you should DNF a book, you probably should.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Woman in the Library

Hmm… I don’t really know what to think about this one. A friend asked me to read it so that we could talk about it, but I don’t feel like I have a lot to say about it. It’s not so much that I disliked it, it’s just that I’m extremely lukewarm about pretty much all of the elements. The story within a story was an interesting set-up, but I feel like it wasn’t capitalized on as much as I would’ve liked. Though I feel like that last line was tossed in for shock value, I didn’t find myself particularly surprised and mostly I just feel like I wasn’t as invested in this story as much as I should’ve been. I guess I didn’t connect with the characters to really get into it or be concerned for them. But if you’re interested in a mystery with an interesting premise, this might be for you!

⭐⭐⭐½

This is why I have trust issues about book recommendations that don’t come with reviews. 😂

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Where the Dark Stands Still

Loved this one! A magical YA adventure with quirky magic and lovable characters.

Oh my gosh, I was in *the worst* reading slump. I was DNF’ing books left and right and legitimately wondering if there was something wrong with me. But then this book sucked me and was just completely gorgeous. It reminded me of a mash-up of Uprooted, Howl’s Moving Castle, Dr. Who, and Beauty and the Beast, and I just loved (almost) every step of the way!

What I liked:
– Gorgeous writing
– Complex characters I loved
– A beautiful but dangerous magical forest
– A sweet, slowburn romance
– Perfect pacing that kept me engaged from the first page
– Found family that just wraps around you
– A perfect fairy tale vibe that still feels fresh

What I didn’t like:
– The last page. I’m trying really hard to say this without spoiling anything, but basically I wanted more of a happy ending than that hopeful but still vague last line. Sigh. It was literally my favorite read of the year until this moment, and now, though it’s still entirely wonderful, I’m not completely sure about the top spot.

*Highly* recommend for anyone looking for a gorgeous fantasy that feels timeless and fresh at the same time, and will definitely be looking for more reads by A.B. Poranek.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This one’s definitely making the top ten this year for sure

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking

Loved this one! A magical lower-YA adventure with quirky magic and lovable characters. The pace is quick, the voice is great, and I mean, who wouldn’t love a sourdough starter & gingerbread familiar? The audiobook narration was fabulous and I’d totally recommend this to anyone looking for a lower YA / upper middle grade adventure with a cozy feel (and no romance.) Fingers crossed for a sequel!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There’s really nothing like finding an awesome book to shout about.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Light Mage

RF Shutterstock 141232366, 319561406 & 386603440

What I liked:
– Once again loved the complex, visceral heart-wrenching world
– Sage’s escape from her people is legit cathartic
– Beautiful writing
– I really loved the sweet relationship between Sage and her love interest
– strong found family
– deliciously righteous resistance

What I didn’t like:
– The romance is kind of insta-lovey. I actually didn’t mind it all that much, but it will definitely bug some people.
– The pacing of this one is all over the place. I feel like it started off kind of slow, and it was definitely painful to endure Sage’s culture along with her (I actually almost DNF’d at one point.) But once she escaped, I devoured this book.
– The end isn’t really an end. Obviously this is because this is a bridge into book 1 (though I don’t recommend reading this one first) but it didn’t quite leave me satisfied,

Overall though, I really enjoyed this read, totally recommend it for fans of book one, and I’m super excited to read book 2!

⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Post Review Note: So after I wrote this, I read a few reviews of books later in the series, and it sounds like the series goes in a love-triangle direction I’m not a fan of. So, I made the (actually kind of difficult) decision to stop reading this series while I still enjoyed it.

So, I’m left with mixed feelings on this series. Maybe one day, I’ll pick up the sequels for myself, but at 5 (long) books and counting, that’s a big time investment. We’ll see!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Black Witch

I had a big road trip today, and I was drawn in by this book the WHOLE way. It hooked me with the complex world, epic stakes, and dark tones from the very beginning and then the misfit revolutionary vibes of the lovable cast and the slowburn budding romance had me till the very end. Note this book does have a lot of heavy, complex themes and it does not pull punches when it comes to the dark reality of their society (genocide, slavery, abuse, racism, religious extremism… I could probably go on), so it won’t be for everyone, but for me, the pacing and story-building were totally on point. I’m not going to lie, I think I enjoyed this one more than Fourth Wing (there are definitely similarities) and I’m so excited to read book 2! My only note is that I don’t think this book stands alone in any way. While there is a lot of satisfying progress, and it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, there are still so many resolutions we’ll need from the rest of the series. Recommended for those looking for an epic fantasy with intense political world-building and dark undertones.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Not going to lie – this one blew me away. Highly recommend!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Legends & Lattes

This book brings ALL the found family and cozy fantasy vibes. I loved the characters and the sweet budding romance, but the tension was just a little low for me, and while the resolution was fitting it didn’t quite the satisfaction I was hoping. That said, if you’re looking for a low stakes, cozy read—this is for you!

⭐⭐⭐⭐¼

It was at this point in my life that I started to realize that perhaps a book could potentially be *too cozy* for me.

Thanks for reading!