Loved the dark atmosphere, heartwarming themes, sweet romance, and strong found family in this enchanting fantasy with super strong Howl’s Moving Castle vibes. Definitely recommend for fantasy fans looking for a mix of gothic and cozy! And the audiobook is narrated by Carol Beth Anderson who is just absolutely lovely!
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I stopped everything so I could inhale this series, so that makes this a series review!
Book One:
So this was a complete surprise! I stumbled on this book when I was on a road trip searching Libby for an audiobook to read and picked this one up at random without knowing anything about it. Based on the cover, I honestly thought it would be too spicy for me, but it was so fun! It basically felt like Dexter except with more romance and if Dexter was a girl out for vengeance and also falling for the FBI agent that’s on her case.
Super fast paced with spice and some darkness, I’ll totally be looking for book 2!
Book Two:
I loved the first book but then explicably forgot to download the second. I’m SO glad I remembered because this series is legit addicting and the audio narration I amazing. Reminds me of Dexter during the best seasons and I had to download book 3 immediately and took the dog for a walk so I could listen. 🤣 Definitely recommend!
Book Three:
The series continues to be amazing. I really need to read the other audiobook loans I have from the library that are about to expire, but I want to binge the rest of the books so badly.
Book Four:
Literally could not stop reading. The amazing binge continues as I immediately pick up book 5.
Book Five:
I loved very second of this series, and literally COULD NOT put it down. I have never been so glad that a series was complete and binged the crap out of this. Dexter + The Count of Monte Cristo + A Splash of Spicy. If that sounds like your thing, you’re going to LOVE this. Definitely going to go on my top reads of the year list, and one of the best series I’ve read in a while. Kept me hooked from start to finish. SIX STARS and recommended so hard.
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Loved getting Haymitch’s point of view, but just as a rule, I’m not a huge fan of prequels since we pretty much know how it all turns out, and this one’s definitely not a feel-good sort of story. For that reason too, I don’t think I’d go see the movie. In general though, I’d recommend this for Hunger Games fans who are a still looking for more!
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This isn’t my favorite Emily Henry book, but I think this is the one that’s cemented me as a fan. I would describe it as Beach Read meets the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I would describe the romance as sweet (though with moderate spice) and almost cozy in nature. Though there is some mystery to it, I wouldn’t say it’s a page-turner even though it certainly kept my interest throughout. At the end of the day, it was the lovable characters, the lovely, accessible writing, and the Georgia coast scenery that sold it for me. And I’ll definitely be picking up whatever Emily Henry writes next.
Which leads to my personal ranking of Emily Henry books:
1. Book Lovers (Adored)
2. Beach Read (Loved)
3. Great Big Beautiful Life (Enjoyed)
4. Funny Story (Liked)
5. People We Meet on Vacation (Did not Like)
6. Happy Place (Really didn’t like)
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A little, emotional story about the realities of growing older and the ties between generations. Some beautiful thoughts here, but the story didn’t stand out to me overall. The narration is great though, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a short, thoughtful read.
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A short read that had me chuckling more than once. It’s a rather hodgepodge of funny stories and quips from the perspective of a very relatable new parent, and the narration was excellent. Light and sweet, I’d recommend for any new parents looking for a read to give them a laugh and make them feel seen.
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Loved the hook and the premise, but I thought we lost a lot of tension in the middle. I feel like I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I would’ve liked, and I got a little frustrated with the characters not really utilizing the powerful books to their full potential. Or taking steps to defend / protect themselves when someone is actively trying to un-alive them over the course of years. I nearly DNF’d a couple times, but came back to it at the encouragement of a friend. To be fair, the full-circle elements of time travel were satisfying and the narrator was great.
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So, this was an interesting find! The narration and writing were both lovely, and this was an interesting, unique take on a portal fantasy. The (very) slowburn romance was well executed with solid chemistry & tension, but fair warning, this book doesn’t really stand alone. While this world and magic system was obviously lovingly crafted with fantastic imagery, I personally had some trouble appreciating the concept of Ruhaven’s mechanics, Roe’s ups and downs were a little frustrating to me, I was a little disappointed by the lack of satisfaction in the ending, and I found the pacing tested my patience (though take that with a grain of salt, because, as a rule, I like short, fast-paced reads and I’m definitely not a fan of cliffhangers.) That said, if you’re interested in an atmospheric fantasy that takes its time as it bridges worlds with solid side of slowburn romance, then I’d give this one a try. Thanks to the author for the audible code!
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Trying a few short novella reads to try to dig myself out of my reading slump. I always enjoy Backman’s writing and this novella packs a lot into a short number of pages—so many good lines. Overall though, from a story perspective, I don’t think it’s one of my favorites of his.
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Okay this is my last Rick Riordan book review for a while. Even though my kids are still fully immersed in the Rick Riordan universe, I think I need a breather from MG. (Not because I didn’t enjoy this one, but just because we’re on Riordan Book 8, and that’s *a lot* for me.)
In general though, I don’t have a ton to say about this series. These characters do act a little older than their counter parts in Percy Jackson & the Olympians which I enjoyed, and my 7yo & 9yo continue to be hooked on this series. This is a solid continuation of the Percy Jackson series (in which Percy Jackson & co plays a solid role) and I really liked the action, development, and universe-expansion in this one! My 9yo inhaled this series and has now moved onto Apollo’s trials, but he will have to forge on ahead without me, because I need a change-up! Still, I do love all the Percy Jackson and Greek God our house is decked out in now, so this of course gets:
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Hayley Reese Chow 